Apples of Gold in Settings of Silver
Day 30 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Grabbin' Some Lunch, 6x6, oil on panel
The last of the cows for awhile, (and my favorite, I might add), although since doing these last three I am thinking about doing a larger scene of a bunch of them. Hmmm, seems like I mentioned that before. Guess I better get to it!
Day 29 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
No Worries, 6x6, oil on panel
This shaggy looking guy didn't seem to care a bit that I was taking pictures of him. Hence the title, No Worries.
With only one day left in the 30 day challenge, I must say I didn't paint all the things I thought I might, but it's been a lot of fun. These challenges are a good way to discover things about painting or about my process that I might not realize otherwise. I would encourage anyone who paints less often than they'd like, to join a challenge or make your own challenge. You'll be rewarded in ways you hadn't thought you might.
Day 28 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
One Eye on the Camera Lady, 6x6, oil on panel
For my last three paintings of the challenge I decided to do some of the grazing cows instead of full on "portraits". They still have expressive ways!
Day 27 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Pink Hollyhocks, 6x6, oil on panel
It won't be long before these beauties will be a thing of the past. I can hardly believe we have had such beautiful weather clear through September! With the hail we got early in the summer it didn't seem like we'd have any hollyhocks, but this clump of them recovered and bloomed.
Day 26 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Sunflower Study 2, 6x6, oil on Uart sanded paper.
As you can see, this is the same bunch of flowers as yesterday's. Just a little different angle. And still using the sand paper. My one complaint is that it's hard to scratch my signature in the paint when I use this paper. But that's a small thing compared to all that I like about it!
Day 25 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Sunflower Study, 6x6, oil on Uart sanded paper
Tried this on the sand paper and loved it as much as the day I did the hollyhocks. I think I'll have to try some cows on this paper. I love the way the paper pulls the paint off the brush. It seems very easy for me to get the type of brushstrokes I like with this paper.
Day 22 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Boulders and Aspens, 6x6, oil on panel
I got caught up in the boulder pattern in this one so I guess it's more about the rocks than the trees. Both are good subjects to practice more of. This photo is also bluer than the painting. I never use black from a tube so when I photograph sometimes the shadows come out very blue. Even in good light.
Day 21 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Aspen Study, 6x6, oil on panel
Well, this is the first Aspen study I've done for the challenge, although I thought I'd be doing quite a lot of them. It was fun and I think I learned some things. This pic may be a bit on the blue side, compared to the actual painting.
Day 20 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Smelling the Roses, 6x6, oil on panel
I liked the posture of this cow, whether or not she was smelling the morning air or just stretching. It's fun, either way.
Day 16 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Hollyhock Wine Bottle Label
NFS
I was asked to paint something to be used as a fundraiser for Wyoming Food For Thought, which is an organization I admire. The paintings are to be wrapped around wine bottles as though they are labels and auctioned off. It had to be done on something that would wrap, so I decided to use some Uart Sanded Paper and I think I may have found a new favorite painting surface! I'll be using it again later in the week!
Day 15 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Little Black Angus, 6x6, oil on panel
This is another score from my trip home. There was a bunch of cows and calves on the left hand side of the road, all very curious about the two cows on the right hand side of the road, who were equally as curious about the group they were facing. I interrupted them, but they really didn't pay much attention to me.
Day 14 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Riverton Hereford, 6x6, oil on panel
I lucked out on my way home from Dubois yesterday when I came across a couple of cow herds along the way. And I had a good camera with me, which helped immensely! It's funny to think I'd go all the way to Jackson, which was great, but get really much more excited about cows on the way home than about Jackson. I did see some really nice art though!
Day 13 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Sunny Sunflower, 6x6, oil on panel
I just got back from a quick trip to Dubois ad Jackson. I painted the Tetons for the first time even though I've lived here for 35 years! If I can make it into a decent painting I'll post it later in the week.
Got lots of great cow pics on the way home, too!
Day 12 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Grant's White House, 6x6, oil on panel
I can never decide between this house and the other white house at Grant's as to which one I would choose to live in if I had the choice. This one always has that wonderful sunny porch in the morning, which is so inviting to me! And the bushes growing so close. Also, it's surrounded by some of those old trucks I mentioned. The thing in the foreground right, is an old small bulldozer or bobcat or something along that lines. I've never painted the other white house at Grant's but one of these days I will.
Day 11 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Some of Grant's Sheds, 6x6, oil on panel
I had to take a break from cows, although I did see some cows on the way up the mountain to this ranch. I stopped to paint them, but they were pretty shy and kept their distance. I only got a rough gesture drawing of one that may come in handy in the future. They were all Black Baldies and their faces always remind me of pansies for some reason. It was kind of chilly, probably 50 degrees or so. Sure felt like fall was on it's way.
Grant's ranch is my favorite place to paint. I go there when I need a break from everything else. The owners are very nice and always let us paint there. Today was a perfect day up there. No wind, warm sun and the most peaceful time I've experienced there. I went by myself and soaked up all I could of the quiet. I didn't even hear any crickets; only an antelope snorting somewhere in the distance.
These are a few of the outbuildings around their place. There are many. And many old, retired trucks and a couple wonderful old houses and root cellars and haystacks and a huge, red barn that's just the right shape. Mountains to the south, a dirt road that winds through the main buildings area and a creek that goes through also. Little gates to the yards of the houses and trees and bushes intermingled with it all. Just a wonderful place to be on a September morning!
Day 10 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Another Hereford, 6x6, oil on panel
This guy, or gal, was hanging out with the white calf from Day 6, up in the mountains. There were a few more in the group and if I can manage to figure out how to get them all on one canvas and still make a good composition that will be great!
Day 9 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Flip, 6x6, oil on panel
sold
My first thought on this one was "Wow, it must have been windy when I shot these pics!" But it's possible he just put his ear back. If I understood cow personalities I might be able to tell you just what was on his mind, but you'll have to draw your own conclusions. And on a side note, if you haven't had the privilege of seeing these guys up close, they really do have super long eye lashes! I think that's my favorite part - like putting icing on a cake.
Day 8 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Hereford Calf, 6x6, oil on panel
Sold
We took a drive up through the mountains not too far from here a couple of weeks ago and got some great pics of cows and calves grazing and enjoying the cool summer morning. We have all sorts of cow breeds and cross breeds around here. I love the colors of Herefords, probably the best.
Day 7 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
White Face Calf, 6x6, oil on panel
sold
Day 5 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
Red Hot Pink Petunias, 6x6, oil on panel
I painted these petunias last week on a larger panel and from a different angle. Today was a busy day of grocery shopping and more work on the house, so I decided to paint them again in this smaller square format. Hot pink petunias in a hot red clay pot on a hot sunny day. So far I have only managed to do one painting based on my specific personal challenges and that was on Day 1. I hope I'm better organized tomorrow!
Day 4, Good Morning
6x6, oil on panel
This was not done from life, although I wish it was! Done from a photo I took a couple of years ago while the cows and calves were still in the pasture next door to us, before being moved to the mountains for the summer. It was a hard one to paint because there was so much dark in the photo I had to use my imagination a little bit. I think I got the feel of it though.
Day 2 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days
6x6, oil on panel
This was the third painting of the day yesterday and it doesn't fit my extra challenge criteria, but I couldn't resist the scene, so here you have it. This is my favorite time of the year for painting. The native grasses have turned a beautiful gold and the hay fields are still green from irrigation. Such wonderful colors!
Here's the scene we came upon as we walked around the bend in the road to spy out good scenes. I felt like I'd hit the jackpot and it was a race to get my equipment set up and begin painting. Of course these guys (or gals) didn't stay still very long, but I got some good photos!
Day 1 of 30 in 30
When I set out to do this challenge I added a few specific challenges for myself. One was to paint cows and people from life. I took a little half day painting trip with some artists friends this morning, the first day of the challenge, fully expecting to paint one of them. We stopped at Horseshoe Creek outside of Glendo, Wyoming and when I wandered down the road a bit I came upon a bunch of cows in and around the creek. It was a mad rush to try and paint one as they were definitely moving through and not hanging around. After about 5 attempts at some others, this one stayed still just long enough for me to get this much of her.
