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!

Western Artists of America Show, Corsicana, Tx, April-May 2012

Pearce Museum, Corsicana, Tx.

Ready for some really outstanding Western Art? 

 I was able to attend a wonderful day-filled art seminar in Corsicana, Texas last Friday (Mar29) with Karen McLain from Apache Wells, Arizona. Sheila Cottrell, another artist,  presented an informative lecture with images of the late James Reynolds(member of CAA). Jack Muir, sculptor & foundry owner of the Kalispell Art Casting (Montana), presented a slideshow and lecture of the art of Lost Wax Sculpture. There was a varied representation of paintings and sculpture in both Contemporary and Historical genre.

Karen and another friend, Carolyn Hawley, were participating artists in this show, which also featured artists from Texas, California, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and even Massachusetts!
 

Karen McLain (left) and Vonnie

Carolyn Hawley 

Corsicana, known as the home of the Collin St. Bakery, famous for it fruitcakes, and Navarro College, a part of the Texas A & M University, is located about 50 miles south of Dallas, just off the I-45.  It's an easy day trip to view artwork of more than 75 top Western artists (by invitation only) from the Western Artists of America. All art will remain on display at the Pearce Museum until May 12, 2012.

The Civil War Art Gallery and Museum is an added bonus to the admission price to the show. This collection boasts the largest documentation of letters of the enlisted men in the state.

For additional information you may contact the Pearce Museum at:

www.pearcecollections.us

903-875-7642

3100 W. Collin Street

Corsicana, Tx. 75110

"The Real Doll"-portrait of French, German dolls with "the real doll"

I have been painting furiously for an upcoming fine art show at the Dutch Art Gallery in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area of Texas. The dates are Nov 1st-Dec 31st. I would like to invite all to come and enjoy. Note that one of my paintings (right) will be in the show. This painting had it's moments! The trick was to paint the eyes of the dolls to look like glass, while the "real doll" had human eyes. A couple of times I had to paint out the eyes & start over...not an easy feat, considering that the colors in gouache are not easily duplicated! Also, I could only paint one doll a day...so this was not one of those "painting-a-day" moments...


Gouache, 14 x 18, custom framed to 24 x 30 (If interested in glicees or note cards, http://www.vonniekohn.com/)


On another note, did you notice a new website listed in the upper right corner.. http://www.contemporaryfineartinternational.com/ ? This is a 'sister' website to the Artists of Texas. I am fortunate to be listed among this wonderful group. Please check them out.

Musings of a work-in-progress

It has been awhile since my last posting, however, I have been busy with a posthumous portrait commission of Gov. S.W.T. Lanham, a Confederate general during the civil war. He was also one of the governors of Texas who was one of the founding fathers of the University of Texas, and a long list of other contributions to our great state. I will post a work-in-progress soon. It is a larger work..24 x 30..and being painted in oil on triple primed canvas. I normally paint the negative space first, but started this as a demonstration for one of my art classes to instruct in the process of value painting of flesh tones. Now I have the challenge of adding the background & adjusting the flesh tones that are influenced by their surroundings...arghhhh!

On another note, I have also become a member of a fine organization called "The Artists of Texas". You will find them at http://artistsoftexas.org Please visit this site and enjoy the works of other great artists too.

"Busy Month"

Somehow I have found myself double-booked on the same weekend..I'm judging an art show on Sept 12th & have to drive back to Ft. Worth (2 hrs) in time for art show reception in which I am one of the artists! How do I get myself in these situations?

In addition, I am leaving for a family reunion (2nd or 3rd this year) to Lake Tahoe. Looking forward to a photo shoot while there. I can hardly wait. There will be some wonderful paintings from this trip. Travels are always welcome moments of inspiration for artists. Duty calls!!!

"The Life of an Artist"

I have often heard the phrase, "artists march to the beat of a different drummer"...so true! I have just found a recent article that is so appropriate in describing what we do and what we are as artists. I quote: "The life of a visual fine artist is rewarding, satisfying, and sometimes, necessary. Like many other endeavors, it has its good points. We enjoy what we do..we can do it anywhere..we can do it in our pajamas..we enjoy the process. We can often make money at it..we can teach it...we can enjoy the process. Whilethe quality & beauty of our work..is always in the eye of the beholder, it is a goal to seek out art collectors, gallery owners, or maybe even a museum ..how do we cope with the emotional roller coaster of 'approval, income, the ups and downs of our careers?'" She has many thought provoking things to say...good advice for any level of artist! This article may be seen in its entirely at www.patzart.blogspot.com . Enjoy the read!