"Cactus Heat" and "Pumpkin Patch", sold at Arte de los Brazos, art exhibition in Texas

Good news! I was privileged to be accepted into the Arte de los Brazos Art Exhibition in Possum Kingdom, Texas and sold 2 of my 3 entries. The third entry garnered 1 of 12 merit awards. The painting shown is "Cactus Heat," 12 x 16 oil on canvas. This painting has gained much interest, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it had a new owner. The other was "Pumpkin Patch," a 16 x 20" watercolor of a vintage Dodge pickup sitting amidst a field of pumpkins. I was out-of-state and unable to attend this show at the time. Thank you to my new collectors! I hope you have many hours of enjoyment from my work.In addition, my 3rd entry, "Bridal Veil Falls," an oil landscape of the Falls in the Yosemite National Park, won one of 12 merit awards in this prestigious show...there were at least 150 entries. I'm grateful to the judges for the recognition.

I have been participating in several plein air events and have been missing from my usual blog posts lately. I am back now & will be posting new works very soon. What an experience to be able to enjoy my daily work...painting the great outdoors!

"Expressions from the Soul" artwork by Vonnie Kohn, Texas artist, oil paintings, Phillips 66 station, Cowboy

"Fill 'Er Up"

"Portrait of a Cowboy"

"Fill 'Er Up" is a 1920's Phillip's 66 station that we discovered in Atoka, Oklahoma. At present, it is the home of the local Chamber of Commerce. The gas pump was known as a gravity feed pump...oil on canvas..18x24"

"Portrait of a Cowboy"..oil on canvas..20x20" is of a local cowboy living near Weatherford, Tx. He is the real deal! I'm told he always wears a bandana..seems this is his trademark.


I am honored to announce that I have had 4 artworks selected for the "Expressions from the Soul" juried art exhibition at the Doss Heritage & Culture Center in Weatherford, Texas. "Fill 'Er Up" is a 1920's Phillip's 66 station that we discovered in Atoka, Oklahoma. At present, it is the home of the local Chamber of Commerce. The gas pump was known as a gravity feed pump.

The "Expressions from the Soul" exhibit, in its 4th year, brings together more than 50 top regional artists dedicated to representing the varied styles of artwork found in Texas. The show will be held October 24, 2012-February 3rd, 2013. Weatherford is about 20 minutes west of Ft. Worth, Texas. If you are in the area or need more information, please call 817-599-6168 or www.dosscenter.org. The Doss Heritage is a beautiful museum dedicated to preserving the historical significance of the West.

If you are interested in these works, please contact me at:  www.vonniekohn.com or dosscenter.org.

Thank you for looking!

God's Handiwork, landscape, oil painting by Vonnie Kohn

 "God' Handiwork"

oil on canvas

18 x 24"

It's been awhile since I have posted on my blog. I've been fortunate to do some plein air painting through the summer, although we've had record high temperatures here in Texas. When traveling, it is not wise to advertise, so I find it more advisable to post after returning home.  Our state is known for its beautiful sunsets. Luckily this image was very local for me...in my back yard. Even with drought conditions, we have had clouds rolling in from time to time.Noticing the beautiful light touching the clouds, I quickly set up my portable easel in the back yard. Painting "en plein air" requires fast observation as the light changes about every 15 seconds. My emphasis in the painting was concerned with placement of color and correct values in the horizon of the trees. The camera cannot capture the darker shadows accurately..it translates as black in the image. Plein air is the most effective manner of painting to record true color. Evidently the painting was a success...it received an award in the Weatherford Peach Festival Fine Art Show, 2012!

If interested in this painting, please contact me at:

www.vonniekohn.com

http://vonniekohn-artist.blogspot.com

Spanish Daggers, The Cove, Plein Air, Oil Paintings, Landscapes by Vonnie Kohn

"The Cove"

"Spanish Daggers"

May was a very busy month! Lately I've had several opportunities for painting "en plein aire"-a term which means painting in an outdoor setting. Sounds romantic, eh? In Texas, artists have to endure the elements of insects, heat, sudden spring storms, and prickly pears or cacti as they hike into remote areas to find beauty. Such was this trip. I was participating in Arte de los Brazos, a juried art competition at "Possum Kingdom" Lake, an area that survived wildfires involving hundreds of acres the previous year with a substantial loss of homes. This place has evolved into a resort community with retirees from corporate life escaping the large cities of Dallas and Ft. Worth. I was curious to see if "beauty had emerged from ashes." So it had. 

When I go on a plein air outing, I travel very light, carrying an 8 x 10" pochade box, some 9 x 12" wood panels, a set of water soluable oils, a paint thinner & a small amount of medium. Oh, yes, a couple of brushes, although my fingers have been known to "double" as a painting device. The morning had rained, delaying our party of about 15 painters. We headed out as soon as the clouds broke.

 In "The Cove", my goal was to capture the fast moving overcast clouds before blue sky completely covered the area-fifteen minutes later! There is an area of burnt ridges in the distant background. The sun was trying to break into the scene with a glow on the mesquite tree in the foreground. I had to paint quickly to capture the fleeting light.

"Spanish Daggers" was a term given to the yucca plant in the early days. It is amazing how our planet can renew itself when devastation has happened. This was originally intended to be the underpainting for additional layers, but became an impressionist painting itself as the colors emerged. The redder trees in the background behind the yucca stalks were burned-out post oak trees still standing. Juxtaposing the green yuccas in front of their red counterparts complemented the hardy plants. Yellow wildflowers completed the composition. "Beauty for Ashes," don't you agree?

These are available for inquiry...if interested, please contact me @ 

www.vonniekohn.com

Thank you for looking!

Equine Expo Show with Weatherford Art Association, Vonnie Kohn

Whew! What a busy November it's been. A trio of members from our art guild (Karon Richardson, Julie Lawther, and myself) hosted a booth at the Teskey's Equine Expo in Weatherford, Texas early this month. In Texas, we are experiencing an unseasonal heat in the month of November. My "summer tan" came a little late during this show..aka, "boiled lobster" status. We had much fun, good sales, and a raffle which was a fund raiser for our art group. It included 3 (excited) winners for a Christmas ornament with a painted horse (or small pet) of the owner. There was also a re-enactment group (with a jail) next to our booth & a Country/ Western band to provide entertainment. I was careful not to get some time in "jail." What a good day for sharing our art with others.

Vonnie Kohn receives MVP award in Art

It's been one of those unpredictable weeks! This week I received an email from the current president of my art guild -a group that has over 100 members. He was requesting that I present a very special award to the past president, Paul Latham, standing to my right in the photo. The reason? I shared the same time frame as an officer (Vice-Pres. of Shows), & this new president was not a member at that time. Sounded good to me...I agreed.  The Betty Murray Award in our art guild is equivalent to the Most Valuable Player award in football.This award usually goes to the one person who best represented the guild to the community and who exemplified a high standard of dedicated service to the art group. 

When the moment arrived to step up to the microphone, Paul preceded me to the microphone to speak to the art members. To my surprise, he was announcing my name for the Betty Murray award! I froze. Upon recovering, I took the mike, spoke of Paul's dedication during that four years & handed him an award too. It was his turn to become speechless.. It was a night full of delightful surprises. The board members had decided to engage each of us to present the other with this award to ensure the element of surprise.  Anyway, Paul and I were both humbled and grateful for the honor. 

There is a good lesson from this...I will not be playing "poker" with any of those board members.