Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert IV

Plein Aire Painting Workshop Photos

with

V....Vaughan

Calvert, Texas

February 21, 2009

These are more photos from the sunrise painting demonstration by V....Vaughan in Calvert, Texas Saturday February 21, 2009. They aren't quite in order, as you can tell by her hair. She started with her hair down, but pulled it back into a pony tail as she worked. The location for the sunrise demonstration was on Sunnyside Road, just north of Calvert.

Top Photo: The edges of a cold front as it approached from the north.

Second Photo: Gate where we were working as the sky began to lighten.

Third Photo: The same gate as the sun rose from behind the hill.

Fourth Photo: V.... pulled her hair back as a little breeze began to blow.

Fifth Photo: V.... painting the sunrise, before she pulled her hair back.

I have been asked about Virginia's painting equipment. She uses a tripod, but someone modified it for her by making the palette. So it isn't something that you can find in a store or catalogue.

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Thank you, V...., for the kind words today!

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You can see some of the Robertson County, Texas newspapers online, now, at http://www.robconews.com/ . I'll add a link in my sidebar to this website.

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More pictures from the workshop to come. So far, I've shown the beginning with the sunrise demonstration and getting ready. We had a full day until after sunset, after that. If you missed the first pictures, just scroll down.

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If you haven't signed my Guest Book, you can find that at the very end of my page. Scroll all the way down. Be aware, though, that I can't reply unless I have your e-mail, or some way to contact you.

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Thanks for reading and sharing!

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Happy Spring Break- to those of you who are starting that holiday.

Relax, and stay safe!

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Happy Texas Independence Day

It' s Texas Independence Day!

I haven't heard a thing about it, but, over the weekend, they did show one of the newer movies about the Alamo with James Arness, over and over, on tv.

I thought I would just share a couple of photographs of some good old Texas land in honor of the day.

The top photo shows Sunnyside Road, one of the locations where we have been painting, just north of Calvert. The land to the left at one time was land that belonged to my great-grandfather. Everytime we passed by here, my grandmother would tell of the picnics they used to have by a tank or pond just beyond the trees. One time, someone in the party stood up and knocked one of the boys into the tank. The boy couldn't swim and almost drowned. Someone pulled the boy out just in time. I can't remember if that boy was my father or his brother.

My great-grandfather was one of the first business owners in Calvert and, later, built a home in town. Before that, they had a home on this land.

The bottom photo is of the pasture land on this same curve in the road. You can see the leading edge of a cold front coming in from the north. Not quite the blue norther I've been looking for, for years! But, again, it does show some of the land north of our Texas town.

You can click on the photographs to enlarge them.

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If you are interested in the plein aire painting and workshops, things like Sketch Crawl, in the Brazos Valley, you might join the Yahoo group that I started, Brazos Valley_ Sketchers. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BrazosValley_Sketchers . I also started one on Facebook.

We're talking about another V.Vaughan workshop in Calvert in October. And, of course, Sketch Crawl is coming up April 11.

Maybe someone would like to get together and paint when the Bluebonnets start blooming.

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You can see more pictures from the workshop on Flickr and the Brazos Valley_Sketchers group. More to come on my blog later.

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Zamykal Kolaches on Texas Country Reporter Feb. 21 & 22

Photos From Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches

Calvert, Texas

Set your tv this weekend to watch "Texas Country Reporter". You will have a treat as you get to watch Jody Powers and her shop, Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches in Calvert, Texas. Look at your tv guide or the Texas Country Reporter website for your station and time. For us, it comes on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Main Street business was named for Powers' grandmother, who also passed down her recipe for the delicious traditional kolache.

Powers is a lively lady with many interests, including history and designing and making Victorian clothing. You might find her out on Main Street, waving to cars passing through on Highway 6, urging them to stop and try her wares. Or she might be waiting on new customers and giving them the background of her shop and merchandise, with her very best accent. She might be dressed as a Victorian lady tutoring people on the correct use of a fan or even giving a dance lesson. Her day starts very early in order to have fresh kolaches ready for customers each morning.

If you are in Calvert, stop by and see Jody and enjoy a kolache at one of the tables in the shop or out on the sidewalk.

In the photos above you can see Jody, with her "girls", dressed in some of the Victorian dresses that she designed and made. In photo number 2, Jody dances on Main Street, hoping to attract customers to stop and have a kolache or two. Photo number 3, shows Jody waiting on a customer, while giving her spiel about kolaches and her shop. Photo number 4 shows a lady with an apron, resting at one of the sidewalk tables in front of Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches. The fifth photograph shows an assortment of Zamykal kolaches. These are just a few of the sweet treats that you will find inside the kolache shop in Calvert. Look at her website for a complete list, with a picture of each.

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Speaking of Calvert and "Texas Country Reporter", Virginia Vaughan will be in Calvert over the weekend to paint and conduct a plein aire painting workshop. Sunrise to moon rise on Saturday Februay 21, and into Sunday February 22.

Vaughan was on "Texas Country Reporter" last spring as she returned to the old famiy farm to paint for one more day. She has become known for her series of 365 paintings of her family farm, wich she calls "Last Year On The Farm". The series and her field notes were included in her book called "Last Year On The Farm: A Time of Change". The collection of paintings have toured in various places around the country.

And, recently, as I have mentioned previously on this blog, Vaughan has been honored for being a Finalist for the upcoming 2009-2010 Texas State Artist.

Come paint with us, if you are in the area!

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Thanks to Esther and Flossie for sharing their memories about Conitz Dry Goods Store. And for the comments from several other readers. It's good to know that others are reading my blog and enjoying my pictures.

Also, I would like to remind everyone that, if you want to look at my information about vision loss and Macular Degeneration, look in the previous posts at titles that are prefaced with the word "Vision". You can find links to sites that have all sorts of information by looking under EYE SITES in my sidebar.

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