Fur In The Paint

So I spent my Sunday doing a couple of my favorite things. Painting and gaming. I’ve had this old girl drawn out for a couple of weeks and have been eying it longingly ever since. Well today is the day.

Here’s a well kept secret about me . . . I love cattle. I love cattle almost as much as horses. Not all cattle are worthy of my affections, mind you. Primarily, cattle of color and particularly rodeo/longhorn types. I have nearly as many photos of these types of cattle as I do of draft horses.

Now I’ve done at least a dozen draft horses paintings (probably more) in the past 10 years. Comparitively, how many paintings of cattle have I done in that same amount of time? One. Yup just one. Want to know the reason?

Because cattle are harder to sell than horses. While that may not be completely true in the broader sense, for me it is a fact. Perhaps it is because I have spent the past 10 years marketing horses and have become somewhat known for them that I think this. Who knows, maybe after painting cattle for 10 years in multiple works of art, the same would be true for them. I doubt it, though I’ve got no real proof as to why. It is just a feeling. (You know, like it is just a feeling that I’ll never be a ballerina.)

Anywho, this lovely lady was one of a local herd. I took this photo many years back and am finally getting around to committing her to paper. (10 1/2″ x 13″ hand made paper that is.) She had a calf on the side which is why she’s giving me the eye.

No, she is not done. But I would think one more uninterupted afternoon should she her finished. I kinda went wild with my colors. I seem to need to do that every now and again.