Baby Longhorn -or- Having a snack

Having a Snack, 12" x 12", oil on canvas

Yesterday's marketing challenge was to post pictures of a painting in progress.  I have done this before and it is fun to see the progression. I had started this painting the day before, so I had already done the drawing and started blocking things in.  This painting is of a young long horn cow (from one of the photos I took at a long horn cattle farm near my house).  He is having a snack, as you can see the grass hanging out of his mouth.  I have to say the most challenging part of this painting was his tongue! (Not quite sure why...) In fact when I first saw the picture, I didn't realize his tongue was sticking out.  When I noticed it, that is what cinched it for me.  I had to paint it!  (artists are weird that way...)  So here are pictures of the progression of this painting. Enjoy!

This stage is actually more accurate to the original photo, but I didn't feel there was enough contrast in his face.  I also needed to add more detail to his eyes than what was in the photo. For this, I looked up some other reference photos of cows on the net.

Here's the original photo

Houses of St. Lawrence

I love looking at the houses in my neighborhood.  I live in a small but pretty little borough called St. Lawrence, situated in the middle of historical landmarks and contemporary growth... There are old and new buildings alike here and many of them have great character.  Yesterday was a great picture taking day, so I went for a drive around my area and snapped many, many pictures.  Hopefully the fruits of these images will grow into great paintings!  Here's the first...

"Yellow house with green roof", 6" x 6", oil on canvas

Things I like to put together

These still lives are a series of objects that I bought at the goodwill, or commandeered from my kids toys, or just simply like the way they look and keep them around so I can see them every now and then.

 One of my current favorites.  Little buddha, 6"x6".  I was just reading about Buddha this morning.  The last buddha spoke about reincarnation and said that that would be his last incarnation because he had finally realized that the soul is but an illusion.  Something to ponder.  If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

 Cruet and Vase; Nuts and Marbles, 8"x8"

 I currently have stacks like this in my studio of my paintings.  I guess I will just have to start selling them or something.  I wish there was an easy way to draw people to know about my paintings.  I am such a novice at the marketing and business aspect of being an artist.  I suppose, I better start learning and employing the knowledge soon, otherwise, I am going to run out of room...

I am currently trying on different color pallettes for my paintings.  I am often inspired by the color collections you can pick up for free in the paint section of any local hardware store.  I keep them around so that when I start a new painting I can look through them for ideas on palletes to set just the right tone. 

Recovered from Christmas... Finally

So I start a blog then don't post to it.  Smart. 
Well, in my defense, Christmas was particularly rough this year.  Or last year, or whatever.  But I feel as though I am finally working my way out of the fog.  So, I will post some pictures today, but am not sure on all of the exact dates that I completed them.  Just know that they were completed sometime between November and Now (January 27, 2013). 

3 Dog portraits...Because I love my dogs soooo much and they are sooooo photogenic.  I take pictures of them all the time and some of them I just have to paint. These 3 are all done in oil on canvas

 Smiling Scooter, 10x10

 Ali and Scooter, 18x24

Surveying the backyard, 11x14

Ali is the smaller one and she is a 13 year old Jack Russel that we got from the humane society.  She is such a cutie.  And Scooter is also 13 years old and he is a Rat Terrier.  He is a goofy butt.  Here I captured his little brown butt, which is a standing joke about Scooter.  And Ali the sturdy little girl who loves tennis balls but is getting too old to chase them anymore.... :(

Limekiln road

Landscapes capture the changing beauty of nature.  Near my house in St. Lawrence is a beautiful area called Oley.  I took pictures a few weeks ago just when the leaves were starting to change color, and after the farmers had harvested.  This is a landscape painting inspired by a farm on Limekiln road in Oley.

Farm field on limekiln road, acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24", 2012