Sketches From the 28th World Wide Sketch Crawl

These were not sideways when I scanned them! I don't see a way to make them straight, as they were, though.

Sketches by Barbara Conitz, Cecelia Conitz Heinrich, Nell and Megan Bednarz at the George Bush Library in College Station, Texas July 31, 2010. They were part of the 28th World Wide Sketch Crawl, http://www.sketchcrawl.com

The next Sketch Crawl is Saturday Oct. 16, 2010. In Calvert, meet at Mud Creek Pottery. In the Bryan/College Station area, meet at the MSC Forsyth Gallery in downtown Bryan (the old Woolworths building) about 10:00 a.m.

Sketch your surroundings and post them on the Sketch Crawl website. It's Free and open to everyone!

Tie Day

Tie Day

photo

Tuesday was Tie Day at Cardiac Rehab. Some of the therapists and a couple of participants gathered by one of the treadmills to show their ties that they wore for the day. I don't really have things like ties or belts (which were included in the attire for the day). So, I found a genuine 1950s/60s neckerchief, like we used to wear. This one belonged to Toot, my great-aunt, so it's extra special.

Today is Patriotic Day. I have a denim shirt with stars and stripes, a t-shirt with the Statue of Liberty, and some star earrings that I plan to wear. The shirt actually has the Fourth of July embroidered on the shirt pocket, but it is way too heavy and hot to wear in the summer time. I've worn it to school when we have had patriotic days, or when I just needed something warm!

Cindy, at rehab, asked me to e-mail her the photos, but, sorry Cindy. The computer there wouldn't let them go through. Maybe she will see this post!

I'm moving up in the rehab program. Higher levels on the machines and heavier weights. I don't think I can handle those big 5 pound weights that some people are using. I can barely pick those up! And, to think, I used to drag tables around, scrub them and the sink, in 2 places, pull on that heavy kiln lid, lift 25 and 50 pound bags of clay. I'm just amazed that, now, picking up 4 pound weights seems really heavy!

I laugh when people at rehab mention "pumping iron". That is so not me!

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National Heart Month

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Plan to go out and sketch for the 26th World Wide Sketch Crawl, Saturday February 27. It's FREE! Just journal, sketch, draw, paint, journal, or even doodle about your surroundings on that day, along with others all over the world. Work all day, or for a little while.

Go to the Sketch Crawl website to find others near you, or start your own group or crawl where you are. http://www.sketchcrawl.com/

Locally, meet about 9 a.m. at the Bryan Public Library, now named the Clara Mounce Library, in downtown Bryan. Or, in Calvert, meet at Mud Creek Pottery.

I hope that others in the various communities in the Brazos Valley will draw their own places and participate, or join us in Bryan or Calvert.

Painting Weekend in Calvert

It was a "picture perfect" weekend in Calvert, just as Bob French, the weatherman on KBTX tv, predicted. An Art Fest was scheduled along Main Street on Saturday. V....Vaughan, Round Rock artist, planned to do a half day plein aire painting workshop in the morning. In the afternoon, she would be painting the Victorian Tea on the grounds of the Gibson-Hensarling home. During the Victorian Gala that evening, in The Foundry building on Main street, Austin artist, Robin Cheers, would paint that event. Both paintings were to be auctioned off during the Gala, to benefit the Historical Society.

The artists , plus another artist, Nancy Holder, arrived to stay with us at Thelma's house in Calvert. Barbara planned to be "the innkeeper", and had a meal of soup and baked bread rolls
ready for our supper. V.... brought a homemade cherry pie to share with us, complete with a flag design in the top crust.

My daughter and grandson arrived while we were eating. Ashton showed them the thing we had seen on tv about brooms balancing because of the alignment of the planets. Sure enough, it worked and they were all fascinated. We left that broom standing all weekend, and it was still balanced when we left on Sunday. My photo was blurry, as were many of my pictures. But, you can see Robin and the broom, above. Nancy was sure we had attached strings or some other trick. But, it really worked! We tried it with an egg and that stood on end, too.

On her way back home, Barbara said she stopped to eat at Franks in Schulenburg. She told them about the phenomena, and they tried it. She said they had brooms standing all over the restaurant!

After supper Friday evening, we were treated to hot chocolate at the Cocoamodo. (Thanks Virginia and Robin!) The owner turned out to be a lively, entertaining man, with a great accent, who joined us for a cup of hot chocolate. He told us a lot about chocolate and his adventures. And we got to sample some of the delicious chocolates that he sells in his shop, each lovingly made in the chocolate factory on Main Street. I picked "milk and honey" and it was really good!

I was intrigued by some old Calvert photos on the wall of the restaurant. I was amazed to learn that those photos had belonged to Miriam Oscar, who died a few years ago. She left photos to the city and these were some of those pictures. I didn't recognize anyone, though.

We planned to be out watching V.... paint the sunrise on Sunnyside Road, very early Saturday morning. Barbara had a variety of kolaches for us, from Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches on Main Street to enjoy in the early morning.

It turned out to be a really crisp, clear morning on Sunnyside Road. V.... painted a small painting of the scene that was part of my great-grandfather's land, years ago. We delighted in the sounds and feel of the countryside, punctuated with sounds and antics of some birds and cattle.

By 8 a.m., we went back to town and settled in to Mud Creek Pottery where potter, Sonny Moss, had doughnuts and coffee waiting.

We set up equipment and Robin agreed to pose for us. I elected to use my little travel set of watercolors, since we were going to work small. Less to have to get out and put away, I thought.

Others used oils and Robin did some sketching.

One of the resident cats, Sherbet, had a good time, chasing the reflections of Robin's ring and a laser light.

In our painting, we looked for darks, first, rather than line and details. I got in my lights and darks, which led to some form. And, later that night, I added ink lines to more define my figure.

We enjoyed huge baked potatoes for lunch at the sandwich shop on Main Street. They also have an ice cream shop, which looked really good.

Before our food arrived, we sketched and had some lively discussion about art. It turned out that V....was painting me! She said she was studying light and shadow and skin tones, a warm up for the painting she was going to do in the afternoon.

While V.... painted at the Tea, Barbara, Nancy, and I set up our equipment on Main street, on the sidewalk in front of where the drugstore used to be, and painted. Nancy chose to paint the little garden area behind us, while Barbara painted the street and what used to be Ford's Grocery. I decided to use my watercolors again in a small sketchbook, to paint the corner of Cocoamodo and an old movie theatre. (Not the Eloia, but the one where there used to be only a box office and a lot of gingerbread trim. Only the front was left of the building, as far back as I can remember.) My picture became very colorful, and I finished it with ink that night.

Supper was at the Wooden Spoon where I thought I must be going off my diet. I pampered my self with some chicken fried steak, but, I guess my diet is working and I just ate a little.

Barbara and I watched tv and sketched at home while we waited on V.... and Robin.

I would have liked to have seen both the artists paint, but Barbara didn't want to dress up, and I couldn't find decent shoes that fit me and would go with a dress. Later, we felt that we should have gone!

But, thankfully, both V.... and Robin have posted pictures of their paintings on their blogs.

Sunday was another beautiful day. We had kolaches at Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches, then went for a ride west of town, looking for possible painting locations. I took some photos and Barbara would ask why I was taking certain photos. I told her that something used to be there. I thought that, I could do one of my memory works, and use the photo for inspiration or to show me what the land and trees were like, although buildings might be changed now.

That wound up our painting weekend, as everyone went on their separate ways home.

Both V... and Robin did some spectacular paintings for the auction. You can see their work on their blogs. Just google V....Vaughan and Robin Cheers.

I hope that they enjoyed the weekend as much as we enjoyed having them in Calvert. They are very nice, fun, and talented ladies.

For those who missed the workshop, I don't know when they might come back, for sure. But we are thinking about doing this again. Hopefully, more people will be able to come next time. So, if you are interested, be sure and let the artists know, and let me know, too. Leave a spot on your calendar! I'll let everyone know as soon as something is set.

Thanks for coming, Robin and V...., and Nancy too! And thanks for being "the innkeeper", Barbara! And thanks to Robin and V.... for that great, sweet treat!

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Friday was also homecoming at CHS. (Calvert High School). We drove by the football game and saw that the Trojans were beating West Columbia Charter school by over 50 points. Barbara said that she got to see the Homecoming Parade in downtown Calvert, early in the afternoon, before she picked me up.

Congratulations to the Trojans for their homecoming victory!

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Get well wishes go out to Barbara, as she has surgery and recovers. Hope you get over this quickly, with no pain!

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7th World Wide Paint Out Sept. 11, 12, 13, 2009

Plein Aire Painting In Calvert

Top: Barbara Painting on Main Street

Bottom: Barbara Going To Paint In The Bandstand, Virginia Field Park

If you like to paint outdoors, join in the 7th World Wide Paint Out, Sept. 11, 12, & 13. Register and get more information on the website, http://i-p-a-p.com

To see if anyone has registered in your area, go to http://ipap.homestead.com/paintout.html . I have registered, and, if anyone would like to join me, that would be great!

You don't have to be a member to do the Paint Out, but you can join if you would like to be a member. The event is free.

If you want to paint with me, contact me and I'll let you know where I plan on painting.

Or, you can do this on your own, in your own area. You can also paint one day or all three days. And they have some cute t-shirts, caps, etc. on their website.

There is an html on their website to add to my blog, etc., but I couldn't get it to show up. I really don't understand those things. I clicked copy and paste, but nothing happened.

You can just go to their website listed above for information and products.

They are also on Facebook, for those of you who use that site.

After the event, people can put pictures of their work on the Facebook site. There is a link to do that on their webpage.

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Sorry for not getting this information out sooner, but I haven't worked on my blog or much of anything else for a little while. Haven't been able to see very well!

I had cataract surgery on my good eye, finally, and I'm still recovering. I was like the old joke, "Blind in one eye and can't see out of the other"! More about that in another post. But I did get through it okay, so far!

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It's been great finding people who I had not seen for years, on Facebook. And it's great to be able to share so many things. If you want to know something, ask, and someone is bound to know what you need to find out. Or have similar experiences. There are a lot of artists and writers on there, too.

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Saturday, Sept. 19 is the date for the 24th World Wide Sketch Crawl. I have registered on their Forum for Bryan/College Station and the Brazos Valley Area. Let me know if you want to go sketching with me, or if you would like to go on your own. Or if you have questions. Click on the Sketch Crawl logo in my sidebar to go to the website.

Or you can go to http://www.sketchcrawl.com for more information.

These things like Paint Outs and Sketch Crawls, make a really nice day.
I welcome some suggestions for how we can get these things going here, or where we might go to paint and draw.

Remember, this is Free, open to all ages, all media, groups, individuals, and all skill levels. You can paint, draw, sketch, write in your journal, or just doodle. You can work all day or part of the day, at home, or on location, with a group or solo. There are no rules.

I have listed to meet at the LaSalle Hotel in Bryan, and register at the Frame Gallery, 216 N. Bryan Ave. on Saturday morning. While it is nice to get out early in the morning, I'm finding that I need to sleep a little later. (I think it must be my meds, or my condition!) But, I'll try to do what others would like to do.

We can decide where to work, if we have a group.

In Calvert, meet at Mud Creek Pottery, 407 Main Street.

If people prefer to meet at one place, I am open to that too.

Contact me, or Greta Watkins at the Frame Gallery, or Sonny Moss at Mud Creek Pottery.

Let's have some fun and record the Brazos Valley!

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World Wide Sketch Crawl Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the big 23rd World Wide Sketch Crawl. Go to http://www.sketchcrawl.com/ for more information.

Locally, in Bryan, meet at the LaSalle Hotel in downtown Bryan at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning. From there, we can decided where to work. We will probably need to find a cool spot, near restrooms, as the day warms up.

After 10:00 a.m., you can register at the Frame Gallery, 216 N. Bryan Ave. That will give us some idea of how many people are participating. Contact Greta Watkins at the Frame Gallery for more information.

If we have a group, some may choose to work together. Or people may choose to work alone. Possibly, we could meet later to share experiences and work. At the end of the day, experiences and work can be posted on the Sketch Crawl website, on individual websites, or places like Flickr, Picassa, Facebook, etc.

Just bring yourself, your materials that you want to use, and any personal items you may need. You might want to include a folding chair or stool, depending on where you want to sit. So far, I have been able to find a bench or chair to use, but I have a lawn chair in the car, in case I need a place to sit.

This is a FREE event, open to all ages, all skill levels, all media, groups, families, or individuals. You can journal, draw, sketch, paint, or even doodle. You can work all day, or for a few minutes-at home, in a group, or solo. There are no rules.

In Calvert, meet beginning about 8:30 a.m. at Mud Creek Pottery, 407 Main St. Contact Sonny Moss for more information.

People in other communties can work there, perhaps forming their own groups, or they may join in another group such as in Calvert or Bryan.

Let's Draw The Brazos Valley!

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Speaking of art, Greta Watkins is having some classes at the Frame Gallery in downtown Bryan. Tomorrow, she is hosting a workshop on linocut printmaking.

On Wednesdays, there is a group that meets there focusing on painting portraits in oils.

See her website or contact her at the Frame Gallery in Bryan for more information.

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Remember sunbathing?

I've been avoiding the sun for a long time because I get sunburned and blistered, instead of getting a nice tan. The light bothers my eyes, too. But, now, my doctor told me to to go out and get at least 15 minutes of sun a day. So, I'm going out on the deck in the mornings, sitting in the sun with my hat and sunglasses, sketching and listening to the birdies sing.

Kind of a nice place to be.

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Texas Reds Festival 09

Photos from Texas Reds Festival '08

World Wide Sketch Crawl

Bryan, Texas

Pat & Cecelia

Carnegie Library & LaSalle Hotel

I hope that you are out enjoying the big Texas Reds Festival in downtown Bryan. Steak, wine, lots of entertainment, and things going on for all ages. A big concert tonight to top it all off.

I'm not up to going this year. The heat and the walking would be too much after my "little episode" a couple of weeks ago-on D-Day of all things! Wish I could go today. But, they have downtown blocked off and you have to take a shuttle from Blinn, if you want to see anything, or park far off. Last year, there was handicapped parking, but it was still too far for some of us to walk, and the EMS people took us from the parking lot to the LaSalle Hotel on one of those little car things! I wondered if they had planned better for handicapped people this year.

Last year, the Festival occured during the World Wide Sketch Crawl, so Pat and I went, but we couldn't take the heat then, either. We tried! You can look back in my Older Posts for last June, and find my account of our Sketch Crawl and what little we saw of the Festival. I know it was nice, but it needed to be at a cooler time of the year, for some of us who are not so hardy.

But, in Texas, there really isn't a good time for outdoors. It's either too cold, too hot, too dry, too windy, too wet, too stormy, or something. Festivals that can hit on great weather are really lucky!

This year, it is really hot and dry here. People are begging for rain. I guess I will have to paint another rain dance. (It worked the last time!) Of course, we don't want a hurricane, but, this time of year, sometimes that is what it takes to get rain. A gentle tropical storm, maybe? A really mild one.

It's sad to hear that the art work has been taken out of the MSC while they remodel. That's a really poor decision that has a lot of people upset. Wish they would reverse their decision and just freshen up the MSC with new paint or whatever, and keep it like it always has been. That's such a big tradition of A&M.

If you get a chance, go over to the Art Center in College Station and see the Members Show. Of course, I didn't get to enter this one either. I planned to work on my entry, and got sick instead! Always something it seems. I guess the next opportunity is for next fall.

Be sure to check out my sidebar with lots of information and things to enjoy.

Thanks for reading and sharing, and for joining my Followers or Mail List.

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Speaking of Sketch Crawl, the next one is Saturday July 11, 2009. LaSalle Hotel in Bryan, Mud Creek Pottery in Calvert.

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Thinking especially today of Gwen Shook, former Hearne High teacher, as she battles illness- and Paul Odle, the author of "Memories Around The Mill" as he recovers from surgery in Oklahoma. Many enjoy Paul's stories of growing up in Yukon, Oklahma.

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Evening Primroses

Evening Primroses

6" x 8"

oil

I've gotten some comments in the past few days, that are advertisements or spam. The link that one gave doesn't even go to a website. So, I've done something that I really hate having to do myself. I went in and changed my settings so that people have to complete those security letters before they can post a comment.

I hope that doesn't prevent you from making legitimate comments on my blog. Hopefully, this will stop some of those annoying spam things and, maybe, one day, we will be able to have our blogs without that type of thing happening. I noticed that so many people have added this feature. I hate to do those because they are so hard for me to figure out, usually! (I dislike puzzles as much as I dislike math!) But, hopefully, this will help avoid nuisance ads or worse.

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The little 6"x8" oil painting above is a country scene in spring, complete with mailbox and dainty pink evening primroses. They are in bloom here, now. Some people call them buttercups, but buttercups are yellow. They are a really delicate looking flower.

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Only 2 more days until the 22nd World Wide Sketch Crawl starts.

I looked at the Forum on the Sketch Crawl website, http://www.sketchcrawl.com, to see where people will be participating on Saturday. It looks like there are 55 foreign countries, and 47 different locations in the U.S.A. that have registered on the website, so far. There are 8 locations in Texas. That's over 100 places where people will be out sketching, drawing, painting, or journaling their surroundings on Saturday. I think that is exciting, and I can't wait to see what everyone does.

Here in Bryan/College Station, plans are for us to meet about 8:30 a.m. at the LaSalle Hotel in the courtyard, or the coffee shop. After 10 a.m., we can register at the Frame Gallery, just so that we will have some idea of who is participating and where they are working.

In Calvert, meet at Mud Creek Pottery on Main Street, about 8:30 a.m.

People in other communities can form their own groups, or they are welcome to join us in Calvert or Bryan. Or wherever you might be.

After we meet, we can see if we have a group, and if people want to work together or spread out on their own. And we can decide on where we want to work.

We will spend the day recording our surroundings with art. Those who wish to have lunch together might do that.

Participants can work all day, or for a few minutes, if their time is limited.

If there is bad weather, we can always go indoors to work. There are plenty of restaurants and shops with seating, even the library, that would be a nice place to sit and draw. Rain should not keep us from participating on Saturday. The weatherman said there might be thunderstorms on Saturday, but it is supposed to be worse on Sunday.

Easter decorations and traditions would be interesting to look at as subjects, possibly.

Please help to spread the word.

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These are some of the places that have registered for the Sketch Crawl. Maybe you can find one in your own area to join, if you aren't local to Bryan/College Station.

In Texas, North Texas, Austin, Houston, Waxahachie, Georgetown, Port Lavaca, Bryan/College Station, and Calvert. There is also an active group in Dallas, but I don't see them listed this time. They were listed in previous crawls.

In the Unitd States, Oklahoma; Ithaca, NY; Tttumwa, Iowa; Baltimore, MD; Manchester, CA; Corvalis, OR; San Jose, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Portland, OR; Savannah, GA; St. Joseph, MO; Taos, NM; Placer & Nevada counties, Northern, CA; Lansing, MI; Cambrige, Mass.; Rocherster, NY; Griffin, GA; Owosso, MI; Northern Indiana; Bozeman, MT; Atlanta, GA; Honolulu, Hawaii; Phoenix, AR; Albany, NY; LaGrande, OR; Washington, DC; Las Vegas, NV; Mobile, AL.

Also, NYC; Greenville, SC; San Francisco, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Moscow, ID; New York City; New Orleans, LA; Chicago, IL; Salem, OR; Tucson, AR; Seattle, WA; and Phoenix, AR.

In other countries, Ipswich, Australia; Frankfurt or Mainz, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; Singapore; Anwerp or Bruges, Belgium; Seoul, Korea; Oxford, UK; Brussels, Belgium; Vienna, Austria; Firenze, Italy; Hamilton, NZ; Moscow, Russia; Porto, Portugal; Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil; Bogata/Chia, Columbia; Sydney, Australia; Lisbon, Portugal; Italia; Rome, Italy; Amsterdam, Netherlands; Treviso, Italy; Vancouver, BC; Kanagawa, Japan; Barcelona, Spain; London; Beijing, China; and Jakarta, Indonesia.

Also, Tamworth, Australia; Banalore, India; Paris, France; Belfast, Ireland; Osnabruck, Germany; Drogheda, Ireland, Salvadore, Bahia, Brazil; Wellington, NZ; Bologna, Italy; Shanghai, China (Puxi); East UK; Salzburg, Austria; Kuala Lampur, Malaysia; Hyderbad, India; SE Wales, UK; Salsburg, Austria; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Manilla, Phillipines; Berlin, Germany; Milano, Italy; Israel; Sweden; Blue Mountains, Australia; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Aukland, NZ; Bremen, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Stockholm, Sweden.

If you are in any of those areas, and want to sketch with a group, you can contact them on the Forum under 22nd World Wide Sketch Crawl.

Remember that Sketch Crawl is FREE and open to anyone who likes to draw, paint, sketch, journal, or even doodle. Just bring yourself, sketchbook or paper, pencil, pen or whatever you like to draw with, personal items like a hat, sunglasses, or folding stool or chair, and any money that you want to spend.

At the end of the day, people can get together, if they want to, to share their work and experiences.

We will post our work and experiences on the Sketch Crawl website, and personal websites and blogs. And this should give us some good material to do more finished work from.

Hope you are looking forward to this event, too.

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Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert VIII

Painting on Main Street

Calvert, Texas

Plein Aire Painting Workshop with V....Vaughan

Saturday February 21, 2009

Top Photo- (by Barbara)-V.... shows Toni how to look through a view finder, made with the hand, to isolate parts of a subject when drawing or painting. This was taken on the south side of the Mud Creek Pottery building, out of the north wind of a new cold front.

Second Photo- After lunch at the Wooden Spoon, we returned to Mud Creek Pottery, moved our equipment, to do some painting on location on Main Street. This time, architecture was the subject. Clear blue skies were such a change from the morning clouds. But colder temperatures and a little wind, made painting a challenge. Most of the group set up on the south side of the building, making some protection from the wind. In this picture, Kerrie and Barbara set up on the street, behind a retaining wall, and painted the Masonic Lodge across the street. In this photo, you can see part of the old brick streets in the cross walk.

Third Photo- SuZan set up her French easel on the sidewalk on the south side of the building.

Fourth Photo- Despite the protection from the building, SuZan still battled a little breeze. You can tell from the way her paper towels are blowing!

Fifth Photo- Toni selected a bench on the south side of Mud Creek Pottery to do her architectural painting.

Sixth Photo- This was the view that I selected. Through the show windows of Mud Creek Pottery! I really thought that others might join me to stay out of the wind, but they all ended up going outside. I had already moved my things to this spot and didn't want to move again, while others were moving outside.

I painted in comfort from a place where I spent a lot of hours during my life. When this was my grandfather's dry goods store, I spent a lot of time, looking out these windows, decorating the windows, watching people on the street and the cars passing on Highway 6, and, especially, watching the Eloia (the picture show) to see if it was time to go to the show or who might be going when it opened. It's still sad to see it closed. My focus was on the old theatre, which has been closed for years, another place where I spent a lot of time during my life.

V.... talked with me about my choice and we discussed focusing on the lower part, more than the whole scene. I had decided to just indicate the two buildings on each side, the old bank and the old Allen Hardware store, and focus on the Eloia.

Wish they would restore the Eloia to the way it was when it was rebuilt after the fire in the 1940s. It had all the latest features, back then-just before wide screen came in.

Another thing that I spent a lot of time doing in this spot, was straightening underwear boxes and displays, sitting on the floor of the show window, putting on pin tickets and stringing handkerchiefs. Toot used to sit on the show window ledge and write letters when there were no customers. I liked to get behind the counter when we had to do inventory, while others were counting merchandise in other parts of the store. Grandpa would wrap the inside cardboard from bolts of material with butcher paper and we would write on those. When we finished, he would take all the boards to the desk in the back of the store, and transfer all that to one of the books. I liked counting the boxes of hose and socks, behind that counter, where I could watch out the show window and dream while I counted.

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Here's an interesting site. Margaret loves to sew and create! If you need jeans or other things altered, or if you need a cute creation, or something monogramed. Margaret is the person to call. I'm going to put a link to her website in my sidebar under The Jeans Lady.

http://thejeanslady.com/ .

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It won't be long until the 22nd World Wide Sketch Crawl! There is some discussion about it on various blogs and lists. The big day is Saturday April 11, 2009. I hope that you will join in. It really makes a nice day.

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I'm trying to decide if I should add the sign that used to be on the Eloia theatre in Calvert, or leave it off as it looks today. I like to do things the way that I remember them, when they were at their best. But, on my painting, I have the slanted awning on the old hardware store, the way it is today. In older pictures, that awning is flat and flows into the overhang at the Eloia, with windows above the overhang in the hardware store.

I thought it should, perhaps, have life, with people, and the popcorn machine. But, maybe, that is another picture. Decisions.

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Happy St. Paddy's Day! Lunch Time At The Workshop

Lunch Time at the Workshop

Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert, Texas

with V....Vaughan

February 21, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope that you're wearing your green today so that you won't get pinched! And I hope that you are celebrating and having a fun day today. May the luck of the Irish be with you. And may you catch a leprechaun and get yourself a pot of gold that never runs out. (A lot of us could use one of those, especially these days! Where are you. magical little man with your big pot of gold!)

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Photos From Lunch Time at the Workshop

Top Photo- V....'s painting demonstrating shapes and values. She looked across the street to paint the awning at what was once the Western Auto Store. This is the painting she referred to when assigning homework.

Second Photo- Another of the resident cats at Mud Creek Pottery welcomes customers at the cash register. He seems to be posing, waiting on someone to paint him or photograph him. This is the same cash register that was in Conitz Dry Goods Store for many years.

Third Photo- Workshop participants took time out for a photo in Mud Creek Pottery. On the couch, left to right, Barbara, Toni, Kerrie. Standing, left to right, SuZan, Cecelia, Sonny, Virginia.

Fourth Photo- Lunch at the Wooden Spoon. Toni, Barbara, Cecelia, Virginia, and SuZan.

Fifth Photo- After eating, the group stopped in to look at several shops on their way back to Mud Creek Pottery. In this photo, Jody Powers gives her welcome to new customers to V...., Barbara, SuZan, and Toni. Earlier in the morning, particpants had enjoyed kolaches from the shop, Zamykal Gourmet Kolaches, while V.... painted the sunrise.

Sixth Photo- Three alumni from the tv program, "Texas Country Reporter", gathered in Mud Creek Pottery for a photo before the afternoon session of the workshop. V.... was on the program last spring as she returned to her family farm to paint for one last time. She also attended the Texas Country Reporter Festival recently. Sonny was on the program in 1997. And Jody was on the program this same weekend as the workshop. They noted that the programs are rebroadcast from time to time, so their segments can still be seen. Also, DVDs are available on the Texas Country Reporter website.

By lunch time, the sun was out and the temperature was dropping after the cold front passed. We had experienced quite a few different situations from spectacular clouds all the way to clear blue skies during the day.

Next photos: Painting Main Street

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I hope that you will subscribe to my blog, sign my Guest Book, and add yourself as a Follower of my blog. The Guest Book is at the bottom of this page. The subscribe button and Follower section are both in the sidebar on the right. They are easy to do.

And, if you are interested in drawing and painting in this area, I hope that you will join the FaceBook group or the Yahoo group for Brazos Valley Sketchers. There are pictures on both sites.

Sketch Crawl will be here soon, Saturday April 11. Make plans to join in, wherever you are!

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Thank You for Reading and Sharing!

I appreciate you!

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Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert VII

Photos From the Chicken Clinic

plein aire painting workshop

with V....Vaughan

Calvert, Texas

February 21, 2009

Top Photo- Barbara uses her cigar box guerilla box set up in Mud Creek Pottery during the "Chicken Clinic". Barbara has taken many workhops with V.... and we joked that this was her 79th rooster.

Second Photo- Sherbet, one of the Mud Creek Pottery resident cats, helped V.... as she conducted the class. The class was busy painting after a demonstration and instruction.

Third Photo- Sherbet made himself at home with a little nest for napping in V....'s "magic trunk" of art equipment.

Fourth Photo- Cecelia and SuZan, painting during the "Chicken Clinic". You can see some of the other results of the "loosening up" exercise in the foreground.

Fifth Photo- Rooster Row. The completed paintings of roosters were displayed in the show window of Mud Creek Pottery during the day.

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I couldn't get online to send my blog most of yesterday and had some trouble again today. I had put pictures on the blog, but the internet was not working right, so I am a bit behind. Even Yahoo seemed to have problems.

Scroll down to see the weekend blog, as well as this one.

I'm still having trouble with My Picture what-ever-it-is-called today. (I think I may have too many pictures! Or maybe not.) I'm trying to print a photo of the old sign on the Eloia to add that to my painting of the picture show in Calvert. But, it is hanging every time.

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Next post, we went to lunch, then moved outside to paint. Well, some did while some of us stayed inside Mud Creek Pottery, out of the wind, and painted while looking through the big show windows.

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Plein Aire Painting Workshop in Calvert Part VI

Painting Workshop Photos

with

V.... Vaughan

Inside Mud Creek Pottery

Calvert, Texas

We had moved inside Mud Creek Pottery, just ahead of a bit of wind and rain that hit as a cold front moved through. V....taught and we painted as the north wind blew and we listened to the sound of welcome rain outside. The studio and gallery was a great place to work on a cold Saturday.

Top Photo- Barbara and Kerrie talk during the "Chicken Clinic". Kerrie told us about the new baby chicks that she had coming in, just in time for a cold night. I decided that I need to look at some chickens and roosters, even pictures of them, before I try to paint one!

Second Photo- The potter painting. Sonny is an all around talented person, from sculpting and throwing pots, painting signs, to painting and drawing.

Third Photo- SuZan and Toni painting during the "Chicken Clinic". This is an exercise designed to loosen painters up.

Fourth Photo- V.... disonnected her palette from her easel and demonstrated mixing paint for the group.

Fifth Photo- Toni watches V.... as she talked about the shadows formed by the awning across the street on what was once the Western Auto store.

After the workshop, Vaughan assigned homework. So, if you participated, you have some painting to do. Hope you are working on it!

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I was so thrilled to have "EastEnders" back on PBS last night! It had been so long since I watched it, that I had to get used to it all over again, it seemed. It felt funny to realize that one of the main characters had, in real life, died and was buried since the last time we got to see the program.

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It's been cold and rainy, for which we were glad, but now the sun is out, it's warming up, and I can see the new leaves popping out on the Crepe Myrtle in front of my window.

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Thanks for reading and sharing. If you haven't signed up for my blog, or for the Brazos Valley Sketchers groups, I hope that you will do so.

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