Presentation of Portrait to Museum, "Native Son"



January was another busy month in my calendar! Parker County Today, a monthly magazine whose founder & editors were part of the Ft. Worth Star Telegram, featured an interesting article in their January issue, entitled "Native Son." It described the portrait of S. W. T. Lanham, former governor of Texas during the years of 1902-07. The local chapter the Sons of Confederate Veterans of Weatherford, Tx commissioned me to do a portrait of him during 2010. The painting was presented to the Doss Heritage Center on January 25, 2011. Doss Heritage & Culture Center is a  museum featuring the history of Parker County, west of  Dallas-Ft. Worth. The following is an excerpt of the article:

"NATIVE SON" by Phil Riddle

For a small town, Weatherford has made quiet an impact in a number of arenas. Mary Martin (Peter Pan) and Larry Hagman are famous actors from the Parker County seat. Former House Speaker Jim Wright got his political start as mayor of Weatherford. And cattlemen Charles Goodnight & Oliver Loving both had ties to this North Texas town. Those people & their contributions are important says Jerry Walden, warning against forgetting another hometown son who made a name for himself. That would be Samuel W. T. Lanham, former Governor of Texas who called Weatherford home.

Walden, commander of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp bearing Lanham's name, decided folks in the former governor's home territory should be reminded of his accomplishments as the state's chief executive. So he commissioned a painting of Lanham, which will be displayed at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center. "I wanted to do something to give back to the community," Walden said.

Walden said the portrait, painted by well-known artist, Vonnie Kohn, will be on loan to the Doss Center, but will also be displayed on a rotation basis to area banks. Kohn, the artist, researched decades of portraits & photos to come up with a composite age-correct portrait of Lanham during his tenure in office at Austin. The traditional portrait included a ghost image of the capital in the background  displaying the American Flag and the Flag of the Lone Star State.

"Rainbow in a Blue Vase"

When I was a younger artist, my mother-in-law had several bushes of hydrangeas planted in her front garden bed. She called them "snowball" plants. In memory of her, I planted a hydrangea bush in my front yard a few years ago. In our Texas heat, I had to take special care to put this bush in a partially shaded area...not an easy feat when there are few trees in the front yard! It has never done well; however, this year it was completely loaded with all the colors of this variety of flower--blues, pinks, lavendars, & even whites! As a homage to Spring (& my mother-in-law), I have put this Rainbow in a Blue Vase. Enjoy!

Oil on Canvas...11 x 14...gallery wrap (needs no frame)

(Sold)

 

This painting has just found a new home, but there are others to be found on my website:

http://www.vonniekohn.com/

Thanks for stopping by!

Western Art Collector, Nov.Online Gallery, Vonnie Kohn, western artist

 November Online Gallery for the Western Art Collector magazine: http://www.galleryshowsonline.com/show/dutchpulse1110 

"Where Texas Finds Its Color" represents the Artists of Texas and is showing at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas Nov. 2-Dec. 31, '10. The Opening Reception is Nov. 6th..1:00-5:00 pm. For Further information please contact: http://www.dutchartusa.com/ . There are over 30 artists with some wonderful paintings of landscapes, figurative works, western, and still-life, all representing the many styles of Texas artists. These would make wonderful gifts for family or special friends during this holiday season.

Above: "Echo Canyon"...18 x 24, oil on canvas

Middle: "Teamwork".......12 x 16, oil on canvas

Lower:  "Sweet Dreams"..24 x 30, oil on linen

Prices on original artworks available at http://www.dutchartusa.com/

Prints and Note Cards available from the artist. I accept PayPal or personal check.

Please contact me at:  vkohnartist@aol.com

Thank you for visiting us, hope you enjoy!



Pink Rose by Vonnie Kohn, small works, floral

Have you ever wanted to receive a dozen roses from an admirer? Roses are my favorite floral subject..also the most challenge for me to paint. I participated in a plein air event at the Dallas Arboretum last Spring and chose to wander into the Rose Garden. I was absolutely enthralled with the many varieties of roses. I didn't know there were so many! This small oil was a result of the many studies I was able to accomplish before leaving. The small gallery wrapped canvas was a perfect surface to work quickly because of the changing light.

Original oil on gallery wrap canvas (needs no frame)...5 x 5"   $100

If interested, please contact me at: http://www.vonniekohn.com/

I accept Paypal or personal check

Gov. S.W.T. Lanham of Tx, Confederate soldier, portrait by Vonnie Kohn

This is a posthumous commission that I have been working on for some time. Mr. S.W.T. Lanham was a governor of Texas during the late 1800's. His 2-story mansion which sits on an entire city block is located in Weatherford, Texas. He was involved in many legislative areas in the state, including the organizing of the University of Texas. As a former Confederate soldier, he was highly esteemed by the local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in Weatherford. This painting will be presented to the Chapter this week at their monthly meeting. The second image is a close-up of his face. ....oil on canvas/ 24 x 30...Sold

"Morning Shave" ..chuckwagon series I..western





It's been my privilege to attend a unique competition in the Western culture lately...Chuckwagon cookouts. One of my students is a Grand Champion in this area. I visited his wagon last Saturday & came up with some very interesting photos. This set-up is one of the aspects of judging his wagon outfit. Period clothing is also important, as well as camp site layout for the wagon & the equipment. I chose to paint this in watercolor to reflect the vibrant colors of the wagon.

4 x 6" ..framed...$ 50...if interested, please contact me @ http://www.vonniekohn.com/

Thank you for stopping by!

"You First"



Have you ever had a bad day? I went to a ranch recently to do some plein air studies for a studio painting with a Western theme. I happened to run across this young longhorn steer who really wasn't impressed with visitors. I managed to do a quick study, but didn't get too close to this one! I could tell his mood was challenging to anyone that crossed his path. Notice his tail swishing..the next thing would be the ears laid back. That is the time to "run for it."    

 $ 100....8 x 10" ..double matted (gray w/ red liner), framed with barn wood.   Please contact me if interested at  http://www.vonniekohn.com/