"Cactus Heat" by Vonnie Kohn, oil on canvas, landscape, desert flowers

"Cactus Heat"

12 x 16"

Gallery Wrap

(No frame needed)

I used to live in the Southwest in a dry, hot, desert area in my early years. Many do not see this as a desirable place to be, however, there is much beauty to observe during the spring and summer.

The prickly pear cactus has a time of flowering that only lasts for about a week. Often the "fruit" will nearly cover the entire cactus. I stumbled on this cactus in bloom on the way to an art class about a month ago. Fortunately my camera was with me. The day was in the triple digits, but it did not take away from the beauty of this beautiful cactus...hence, the name-"Cactus Heat"

If interested, please contact me @:

http://www.vonniekohn.com/

"A Hard Day's Work" by Vonnie Kohn, Western, saddle, chuck wagon, contemporary

Ever had a really hard day at work? Backbreaking, searing outdoor heat, cranky horse, stubborn cattle? I photographed this saddle resting on a wagon wheel at a chuck wagon cookout on a really hot day. It belongs to a good friend, artist, and spur maker, Bob Burleson of Parker County, Tx. I seem to have a nostalgia for saddles...my father was a top notch saddle-maker when I was young. The smell of leather still captures my attention. I even find myself going into a leather shop to smell the leather!

11 x 14" Oil on Canvas

Gallery wrapped canvas (no frame needed)

If interested, please contact me at:

http://www.vonniekohn.com/

Thanks for stopping by...

"Bringin' Em In" by Vonnie Kohn, contemporary western art, equine, cowboys

"Bringin' Em In"

8 x 16

Oil, framed

$ 125

While visiting a Texas ranch a few weeks ago, I happened to witness a couple of cowboys herding several horses in from the "back forty." These were horses that had been on the range for a few weeks. There's something exciting about watching a herd of horses running full speed, with thundering hooves across the pasture, their manes flying in the breeze. In time, they would be tamed down to work as the cowhorses they were meant to be.

Paypal & checks accepted. If interested, please contact:   

http://www.vonniekohn.com/

http://vonniekohn-artist.blogspot.com/

Thank you for looking!

"Lady Wranglers" by Vonnie Kohn, cowgirl boots, impressionism

"Lady Wranglers"

12 x 12" Gallery wrapped

Oil on Canvas ..$100

Available

These delightful boots belong to one of my young art students. In real life, she is a cowgirl that competes in junior rodeos. When I showed this painting to her, she had already moved on to a newer pair of "used" (or better known as "cow-lot") boots. I was struck by the worn elegance of the pink boots against the bright, sunstruck grass beneath her feet. If interested, I accept personal checks & PayPal. Please follow the link on this blog to contact me.



"New Gallery Night", multi-artist show, Denton, Tx.

GOOD NEWS!  One of my paintings has been accepted into a juried show in Denton, Tx.  The painting is "Isaiah's Scroll," an oil on panel, framed with a gold gilded ornate molding. It is an Old Testament scroll with a mirage of the face of the Messiah in that portion of Scripture that testifies of His coming.

The Inspirational theme is "Faith Guides Us." There will be an art reception on Tuesday, April 5th, featuring a special musical guest: The Phantom Solaris. (facebook.com/pages/The-Phantom-Solaris)

The exhibit will be for the month of April. For more information, the website for the gallery is:

  http://www.oxidegallery.com/

Admission is FREE...please join us!

"Watchful Eyes" by Vonnie Kohn, oil painting of dogs with western setting

Have you ever observed how much our animals love us without strings attached? My family was entering a Tex-Mex restaurant one evening when I noticed all the patrons looking out (seemingly at us) a large window. As my eyes followed their stares, I noticed a pickup to my immediate right with two dogs in the back, guarding the saddles, blankets, bridles. They were being completely obedient to the command, "stay." When we entered the restaurant, I found two cowboys, wearing their full regalia, complete with boots and spurs, standing in line. I didn't have my camera at the time, but I remembered.....two years later, with the right setups, I completed this painting. I still remember the obedience of the border collie, the other, an australian cowdog. I could just envision those dogs waiting patiently in a pasture while their master was hunting, or working a fence line, or locating a young calf. What do you think? This painting has found a new home, but there are others. Please visit my website for more information:

http://www.vonniekohn.com/

18 x 24...oil on canvas...SOLD

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.