Happy Herd of Handsome Hefty Hereford Heifers on the Homestead

The world lost a special man this week. He was an Oklahoma cattleman, a dear friend, and one who my mother (who just didn't even try to remember names after her stroke) called "that pastor that we like."  (That one makes me laugh since it made it sound as if she didn't like the others.)

Art can be therapeutic. I thought of him as I worked on this piece.  I liked to imagine that these pretty cows were looking at him as he walked toward them.  He would have loved them.

It has been a long time since I've done a big oil painting.  It felt good to get back to it. 

My Weekly-ish Challenge was "Paint Something that Begins with the First Letter of Your Name."  So... 

Happy Herd of Handsome Hefty Hereford Heifers on the Homestead

** I know, I know...  couple of Angus and a Black Baldy got in the bunch...They didn't start with H, but I liked them.

Funny that this was the challenge.  I participated in a creative journaling workshop this spring.  It was done in a different way, but the same prompt was used.  I had fun with that "H" project too. Here's the poem I wrote for that one:

Hollyhocks and hummingbirds

Happy hens and healing words

 

A Honey-baked ham, a hot chocolate mug

Hearing hallelujah, holding a heartfelt hug

 

Harvesting herbs and homey heirlooms

Helpful hints and hotel rooms

 

The hues of hydrangeas, hawks in the sky

Hot hushpuppies heaped up high

 

Hanging hammocks and holiday plans

Handsome husband and holding hands

 

Hope… home… health…

Huge breath in… hold… and… Hhhhhhhhh…

 

Thanks to pexels.com for a great reference photo.

Original Oil Painting on 22"x 28" Wrapped Canvas

Click On the Homestead if you'd like to purchase this one.  I'm going to enjoy seeing it on my own wall while it waits for its forever home.

 

Cattle Waiting Patiently

Pretty little heifers... just waiting...

I always think cows look so patient.

What do you suppose these little cows are waiting for? Or are they just curious about the guy taking their picture.  My friend Glen snapped their photo and posted it on Facebook.  When I saw it, I stopped scrolling and knew I wanted to put them on canvas.

My dad was the high school agriculture teacher in my hometown.  I remember hanging around his classroom when I was a kid. There was a big wall hanging showing all the breeds of cows, kind of like how other classrooms would have world maps.  I would look at all those different kinds of cows and wish he'd bring home a blonde one or a spotted one or a white one or an Oreo striped one the next time he went to the sale barn.

But, no. We only had boring old black angus cattle. Sometimes we'd have some hereford or some black baldies, but never one of what I thought were fancy cows.

I thought these five pretty little blond cows were just fancy enough for a painting.

My Weekly-ish Painting Challenge this week was "Cattle," so that worked out perfectly.

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

Click Cattle Waiting Patiently if you'd like to purchase this painting.

Hey, Hey, Hay! VI

Hey, Little Cow! Aren't you a cutie!

I've painted a lot of cows.  No, really... a LOT of cows.  I counted. I've done 30+ paintings with cows. Take a few seconds, click HERE, and scroll through. Yeah... lots. The other day I realized it had been a while since I've painted one.  Nearly 4 years! 

This particular little "Black Baldy" heifer has been on my canvas several times.  I was glad to bring her back one more time... or maybe two... or three...

I've recently taken a liking to translating a paintings into different mediums. So...

Watercolor still scares the bejeezus out of me. Mine never turn out like I imagine they're supposed to, but I'm getting better.

Quilted Fabric Collage is exciting and new to me.  I'm not sure they have a purpose... a fancy potholder I suppose. I do love using the little scraps and threads to bring out the image.

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 8" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Waiting Patiently

Every once in a while, I come across an image that I know I want to paint.
This was one of those.

It's such pretty group of cows and their calves patiently waiting.  
     Waiting for their farmer to come with feed...  
          Waiting for the sun to go down... 
               Waiting for the lady with the camera to go away...

I doubt anyone has ever used "patient" to describe me, but I do try to be. It's in my nature to move at a fast pace, to get the job done, to begin right now.  Since businesses, churches, and activities have been closed, however, life has moved at a slower pace. 

Maybe these pretty white cows can be a reminder.
     Slow down...  Take it easy...  Chew your cud and enjoy the wait...

Thanks to Sara Harley - Image Maker for letting me paint her photo. (And, yes, I know there was actually another little calf behind the big cow, but only his back end and tail showed! Maybe he was shy.) 

Original Oil Painting on 14"x 18" Wrapped Canvas.
Click Waiting Patiently if you'd like to purchase this painting. But... know that I'll be a little sad if you do since I look forward to having it hang on my own wall for a while. 😉

Pearl, the Pretty White Cow

On Christmas Day, we went on a cattle drive... Well, on a drive to look for some friendly cows that might like to pose for my camera.

We didn't have to drive long before the the paved roads became dirt roads. Things that you see on country roads are so interesting.  You just never know what will be around the next curve or over the next hill.

These girls were curious and friendly and came right over to the fence. They were just what I wanted, but I'm pretty sure I was was a big disappointment to them... standing there talking to them, taking their picture with out a bit of feed or hay to offer.  

This was the perfect little herd.  They weren't afraid to come close, and there were several different kinds and colors.  That tan one on the right...She may end up on a canvas some day, but she'll have to wait her turn. I loved this white one with the pink nose and pink ears. Let's call her Pearl.

Cows are really huge.  If you haven't hung around with any lately, you forget how really big they are.  I thought Pearl deserved to be on a great big canvas. 

I'm sure the mailman wondered what ridiculous thing I was up to... chickens running around my feet, wearing pajama pants and a heavy coat, holding up a big cow picture and smiling for the camera on the porch rail, running back and forth checking to see if I got the whole painting in the shot but not the pajama pants or chickens... and what's up with all that gray hair?? In my mind, it's brown with some gray sprinkled in.

Original Oil Painting on 20"x 20" Wrapped Canvas
Click  Pearl, the Pretty White Cow if you'd like to purchase this painting.

Lady Mondegreen, A Black and White Cow

I'm snackin' light now
Crack a slight bow.
Just whack and bite now
Dragon fight, Wow!
I'm packin' right now
A stack of bright towels
A black and white cow!
This is the story of my life... making up words to fit, never mind whether they make sense.

I named this pretty little heifer in honor of my new favorite vocabulary word:

mondegreen - when a word or phrase is created after mishearing a poem or song lyric

Sylvia Write coined the word in a 1954 article for Harper's Magazine when she admitted to hearing the words of an old Scottish poem incorrectly as a child. She'd heard and imagined,

     "They have slain the Earl O'Murray And Lady Mondegreen."

Only that wasn't it!

It should have been:

     "They have slain the Earl O'Murray and laid him on the green."

This... is... MY... word!

It seems that there is no end to my lyric mess ups  mondegreens!

My poor husband just shakes his head and sighs when I sing along with the radio.

"Seen my sheriff broke and laid low..."

nope... it's

"Seen my share of broken halos..."

so sorry Chris Stapleton

"Whoa-oh, Johnny go..."

nope... it's

"Whoa-oh, China Grove..."

so sorry Doobie Brothers

"Hell fire up...'

nope... it's

"Elvira..."

so sorry Oak Ridge Boys

"Odor Uptight..."

nope.... it's

"Hold her up tight...'

so sorry Alabama

"Lookin' for my lost jiggery-zaw..."

nope... it's

"Lookin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

so sorry Jimmy Buffet

"Go smell a policeman..."

nope... it's

"Warm smell of colitas..."

so sorry Eagles

I could honestly go on and on and on and on with these.

And, yes, I realize that I sing words that make no sense at all.

I have to admit that I'm kind of jealous of Sylvia Write. How cool would it be to get to invent a brand new word!

I've decided that I have a disability, and it needs a name.

If dyslexia is difficulty with letters and reading and discalculia is difficulty with numbers and math, then my word will be dislyricia, difficulty with lyrics and songs.

So, exactly what does this all have to do with the cow painting?

Well, she is a lovely lady cow who needed a name.

I tried dozens of names, but none stuck.

When Ron said, "Call her Lady Mondegreen," it made me laugh out loud... My new favorite cow named for my new favorite word!

Original Oil Painting on 10"x 10" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

The Grass Is Always Greener...

Patience the Cow

The grass is always greener... when you water it!

She looks patient, doesn't she.
I always think of cows as patient.  I supposed that's because of one of my favorite descriptive paragraphs in the world... When E.B. White describes the barn in Charlotte's Web.

 "The barn was very large. It was very old. It smelled of hay and it smelled of manure. It smelled of the perspiration of tired horses and the wonderful sweet breath of patient cows. It often had a sort of peaceful smell - as though nothing bad could happen ever again in the world. It smelled of grain and of harness dressing and of axle grease... But mostly it smelled of hay."

 ...Sigh...
He just makes you want to be there.

Cows have a way of staring right into your eyes. 
Do not have a staring contest with a cow... She'll win. 
She's patient. 
Look at that expression. 
She's saying, "You are standing at my fence. Please just take your picture and moooove along. Go on now. I'll wait. I'm patient."

Original Oil Painting on 18"x 24" Wrapped Canvas.
I've been talking to her since I painted her eyes.  I'll probably keep talking to her on my wall until someone decides she belongs on their wall.  
[SOLD]

Longhorns in Bluebonnets

Moooo!!!

These lady longhorns are going to hang in a very special place.

Welcome Home Retreat is a unique place in Weatherford, Texas for women to come together for weekends of creativity and fellowship. Its mission is to provide an environment of beauty that inspires creativity.

But if that's not special enough... The owner of this fabulous place is my very own sister!!!   Her specialty is scrapbooking where families' memories are captured for future generations. Sheila's dream to have a venue to encourage and observe guests as projects are begun, continued, and completed is becoming a reality.

She wants Welcome Home Retreat to have a "Texas feel with a feminine twist."  So... how about a painting of longhorns walking through bluebonnets!!!  

Click to visit the site of Welcome Home Retreat!  Book a weekend!!  Maybe I'll see you there!

Original Oil Painting - 16" x 20" 
[GIFT]

Scruffy Calf

Hooray!!!  
I am so happy to see this little face looking back at me.  I was beginning to wonder if I'd simply forgotten how to paint.

I wonder... Does that happen to anyone else?

Earlier this year we went for a drive, looking for opportunities for me to practice taking pictures with my new camera.  Cows are funny.  We came to a field with a bunch of the cutest calves... all of whom had absolutely no interest in looking at me.  But this scruffy little girl was so curious.  No matter how long I waited for the cute ones to look at me, she never stopped posing.  So, eventually, I began to see how cute she was too... scruffy hair-do and all.




Original Oil Painting - 12"x 12"
[SOLD]

Sunrise on the Farm

We've been talking about tone in my literature circles at school lately.  "What's the tone of this chapter?"  It's a concept that is fairly new to fourth graders, but once they understand it, they notice it and point it out in every passage they read.  

I might take this painting to school and ask them, "What's the tone of this scene?"  If I've done a good job... both with teaching them and with painting this... they'll say, "It has a peaceful tone," or maybe they'll say it's tranquil or calm or quiet.  

This is the original photograph that I fell in love with.  It was taken by Tom from Piks of the Day, and Stuff. I stumbled across his work and ended up looking through the entire blog.  When I came to this image I left a comment saying that I loved this image, that I thought it was my favorite picture from his whole blog, and that if it wasn't in black and white that I'd want to ask permission to paint it.  He replied that he'd love for me to paint it and that I could just look at other views of it to get the coloring.

Oh, my... I thought... This guy is really nice, but he has completely overestimated my abilities as an artist... then I thought some more... I had permission, so I painted the same barn from a different photograph to work out the coloring... and kept thinking about it... I had turned a black and white into color one time before... my painting buddies also loved the image... so I took a deep breath and drew it up on the canvas.

I didn't intend to, but I began with the beautiful yellows an oranges and rosey-reds of a sunrise (or maybe a sunset) sky. I have no idea whether the sun really rises (or sets) behind the barn, but I think it's such a peaceful time of the farm day.  That's the tone I wanted to convey.

So, thank you to Tom both for the permission to use your photo and for the encouragement to take a risk. 

Original Oil Painting on 14" x 18" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Black Angus

What are you thinking as you look into my eyes?

One of my earliest memories is being told to "stand in the fence opening and don't let any cows get through" as my parents and brothers were trying to run the cows through the chute beside the barn. I suppose they were giving them medicine, putting in ear tags, or checking them for pink eye.  I have a vivid memory of a cow standing right in front of me and staring me right in the eyes.  She was easily ten times bigger than me so I cried, "It's looking at me!" and Momma came running.  "Well, of course she's staring at you.  She can't help it because you're so pretty.  Now here's a big stick; whack her if she comes back over here." That seems so funny and farmer-like to me now - sweet then practical all in one breath.  I do believe that was when I learned to enjoy looking into a cow's eyes.  Hmmm... she thinks I'm pretty...
And, isn't this a pretty little Angus heifer!  She's got her hair all spiked on top and swirled in the front...long fluttery eyelashes and wispy long ear hairs...

She lives on the farm land where I grew up.  I took a picture of her when I went back for a class reunion.  

[SOLD]

Hey, Hey... Hay! Again?

 Do you like reruns?

There's just something comforting about watching certain movies again, reading special books again, or going to the same favorite spot again.

If we catch When Harry Met Sally, Apollo 13, or It's a Wonderful Life on television, the channel flicking stops.  We just have to stop what we're doing and watch it again.  

One of the best parts of being a teacher is getting to read some fantastic books again and again every year.  Books like Dear Mr. Henshaw, Number the Stars, and Where the Red Fern Grows never get old!

So... What does that have to do with this little painting?  Well, I just love this little heifer!  It makes me smile to see her hanging on my wall, but she keeps selling!  I guess it's my fault for listing her for sale, but she's kind of fun to paint anyway.




[SOLD]

Holstein, the Dairy Queen

Do I look fat in these spots?

I think that is what this cow is saying.

I grew up on a beef cattle farm, so I really didn't "know" any Holsteins.  But, when I was working on the funny little tuft of hair on this gal's head, it triggered a memory of a trip my family made through Wisconsin when I was a kid.  There was a town there having a Harvest Milk Days festival.  They put those three words together to name their giant black and white cow that was in the center of the town.  Her name was Har-mil-da!  Oh, what a perfect name  I may have to paint another Holstein just to get to use that name!

I met this particular cow at a dairy beside an antique store near Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  I didn't buy any antiques, but I did take lots of pictures of the cows!  I particularly loved this one because it looks like she's talking.

[SOLD]

Hey, Hey... Hay!

What kind of cow is this?

That's what I called to ask my dad yesterday.  Now, I know that my dad has been a farmer for 86 years and was an agriculture teacher for 20 years; so what made me think I'd just get a short answer...

ME: Hey, Dad.  What's the breed of cow that has a black body and ears but a white face?  I thought I remember you calling them a black baldy, but I Googled it.  There doesn't seem to be a breed named that.

DAD: Yeah, that's a black baldy.  It's not an actual pure breed, but that's what farmers call it.  The black baldy is a cross breed between an Angus and a Hereford.  They do that to get the best of both breeds.  It's best in the first generation cross.  See, if you can get 900 pounds of beef from the Angus and 900 pounds of beef from the Hereford, you might get a calf that would go up to 1,000 pounds.  The male gene has the dominate black hair, and the female gene has the dominate white face.  So, the bull would have been an Angus, and the mama cow would have been a red Hereford... good hybrid... gentle like the Hereford, strong like the Angus... other breeds are done the same way... and on and on...

Anyway, you get the point... once a farmer/teacher, always a farmer/teacher...

So... how about my curious little black baldy! Isn't she a pretty little heifer!

This little painting was fortunate to be part of an Etsy treasury (collection of related art pieces and vintage items) called Bold.  Click to have a look.

Hey Cow!

How do you get a cow's attention?

Several years ago a friend told me about a silly game her family would play when driving down rural roads.  The rules are simple.  When you get near a cow, you roll down the window and yell, "Hey, Cow!"  If the cow looks at you, you get a point.  (Perhaps I should mention here that this friend is one of the most creative people I know.  She's also a teacher of gifted and talented students.... and this was the game she came up with... sigh...)  But the funny thing is, my husband and I have gotten a kick out of playing it ever since!  Yes... two grown people - even without kids in the car - will slow down and yell, "Hey, Cow!" then laugh hysterically whenever the cow looks.

This little heifer lived in a field beside the bed and breakfast near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee where we spent part of our Christmas vacation this year.  When we'd return home each day, she'd be there by the fence. Even though it was cold and frosty, we'd slow down, roll down the window, and yell, "Hey, Cow!"  
...She's looking right at me, so I guess I get a point, don't I... Yea!

We took many photographs of the Smoky Mountain scenery and wildlife, but this little cow got to be the first put on the canvas.

[SOLD]

Moo Too

How do you feel about cows?


They look so peaceful and calming in photos, paintings, and from a distance.  Up close they kind of have an expression of curiosity, even annoyance for being bothered.  
A farmer might feel soothed by their slow movements, snuffles, and moos.  As a farmer's daughter, I do feel all of those things too, but I haven't been off the farm so long that I've forgotten the less serene side of cows.  Things like the fact that they mostly like to get out of the fence on Sunday morning or Christmas day.  They also smell bad and don't do a thing to help that situation.  They usually choose to have their calves in the deepest gully on the coldest morning.  


Oh, all that's true, but for some reason, I have to watch whenever I pass a field cows.  I do have a fondness for them.  
Just look at this darling little momma and calf! 


Click on "Moo Too" if you'd like to purchase the painting.

Moo!

What's your earliest memory?


I have a very early memory about being a farm girl.  I must have been only 4-5 years old when I had the job of guarding the opening.  My dad was trying to get the cows to go into a certain place in the barn and of course the cows wanted to go anywhere but there.  So, someone had to block any possible exits that the cows might find.  Guarding the opening meant that I had to stand in a certain spot so that the cows wouldn't try to escape from that particular route.  I'd never felt so little!  I stood there, all of 40 pounds, holding a stick in order to intimidate any 1,000 pound cow who came my way.  I have a distinct memory of crying, bawling in fact.  When my mom came over I sobbed that a big cow had stared at me.  (Now, I know that the phrase "'cow eyes" means big, soft, and filled with love.  Well, as a tiny little girl guarding the opening, cow eyes were huge and scary.)  My mother told me, "Of course, she's staring at you!  You're so pretty!"  (...awwww... How do mom's know just the right thing to say?)  With a new confidence I was able to wave my stick and guard that opening until the job was done.

[SOLD}