If an apple a day is good for the body, what will renew an artist’s spirit every day? Artist Virginia Vaughan, known professionally as “V.... Vaughan,” has found an answer that works for her. Each and every day, with rare exceptions, she creates an entirely new work of art. 

The idea of a daily painting came to her several years ago when a farm that had been in her husband’s family for four generation was scheduled to be sold to developers. Says Vaughan, “I had thought that the farm would always be there but I suddenly realized we were going to have to leave. That’s when I decided to take my memories with me, by painting one scene every day, en plein air, during our last year there.” 

As the year progressed, Vaughn began posting her paintings to her blog and Web site, along with her field notes and reminiscences. People noticed. Soon the TV news magazine “Texas Country Reporter” came calling, along with American Artist magazine. When museums began hearing about her project it was only a matter of time before Vaughan’s paintings of the family farm were warming the hearts of the viewers within their galleries. And, as a lasting tribute, Vaughan’s entire 365-day visual chronicle can now be seen in the book Last Year on the Farm, A Story of Change. 

These colorful farm scenes represent only a portion of her talent. Open to all subject matter, she paints all over America: its landscapes, sunsets, beaches, children, animals and virtually any theme that excites her. Her canvases share one constant—a strong interplay between shadow and light. “I think my fascination with light comes from the fact that I’m always looking for spiritual meaning in the world around me, and in knowing that God is the source of both physical and spiritual light,” she says.

In addition to her own work, she teaches numerous workshops every year throughout Texas, including a three-week workshop for talented high school students at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville.  Vaughan recalls that she was first informed that she would become an artist by her first grade teacher. “I thought briefly that I wanted to be a veterinarian, but Mrs. Baker had other ideas,” she remembers. “She noticed my talent, gave me an art book and told me that someday I was going to be an artist. That was that.” As an adult, Vaughan has worked as a commercial artist for more than 20 years, but expanding into fine art gives her much more artistic freedom. “As a commercial artist, I was a tight realist with watercolor, but as a fine artist, I prefer oil painting and a looser, more impressionistic style,” she says.

Though Vaughan and her family have now moved on to “other pastures,” in Round Rock, the habit of posting a small painting each day to her blog has remained. She explains that doing so gives her a daily warm-up before working on her larger canvases, and also refreshes her enthusiasm.  After posting, it’s back to work. “These days, when almost anything can be called “art,” I find that I enjoy painting the things that were created before me,” she says. “After all, whether it’s the affectionate look in a beloved dog’s eyes or a sunlit landscape, God’s creation is always uplifting. In sharing those moments, I’ve come to believe that my true gift as an artist lies not simply in conveying what I see, but in renewing the spirit of others by sharing the inspiration I feel.” 

Virginia Vaughan’s daily posting and other works can be seen at www.v-vaughan.com. For a gallery view, visit: 

Act I Gallery

218 Paseo del Pueblo Norte

Taos, New Mexico

575-758-7831

877-228-1278

www.actonegallery.com