I was contacted by Shawn about a Jersey calf painting that was already sold.  I frequently do small studies so clients can see what they might like for a larger more detailed painting, and this was one of those.

6x6 "Jersey Calf in Summer"

I had done the larger painting as a commission for clients in Arizona.  The new owners came to my studio to pick up their painting, which you can see pleased them.  :)  I actually remembered to take a picture of them together with the piece.

In addition to showing the difference between a study and a larger more detailed painting, this gives you a view into how I do custom work.  The recent contact loved the Jerseys and his wife grew up on a Jersey farm in Upstate New York, so they wanted something similar.  The next step was to go through my Jersey Calf reference photos to find a likely subject.  I will do as many studies as it takes to find the perfect cow or calf composition, as long as I am using photos that I took, and the client doesn't have to pay for them as they just become inventory.

As luck would have it, the first one I did was a winner, they loved it!

Curious Jersey Calf    6x6 study in oil

Onward to the larger piece.  It is of interest to know that this painting is for a former 'Dairy Princess' whose job on the farm was to feed the dairy calves up until she left for college.  This is a person who really knows Jerseys, so I am very pleased that I was able to create something that will bring back joyful fond memories every time she views her painting. 

Curious Jersey Calf  30x30 oil on canvas by Denise Rich

Upon arrival I received this message from them:

We received the painting late last evening. It is stunningly beautiful. Former Dairy Princess  is over the moon ecstatic. Thank you so much. It is now the focal point of our home.

Thank you for letting me create this painting for you!

(Note:A few recent paintings scattered in to break up the text, video at the bottom, please read on!)

It's been in the high 90's here in El Cajon much of this summer, typical hot inland San Diego County.  Keeping our cool in spite of the temperature is important, but in addition to the hot temperature, I'm referring to keeping our cool everywhere, in spite of things that heat us up emotionally.  It is known to be beneficial for our health to relax, enjoy something for sheer, well joy.

"Hiding in the Grass"  14x18  sold

Some people do this by reading, perhaps laying in a hammock outside, or at the beach.  I find being in a field with cows and a camera does it for me.  Nothing but a sweet breeze, a beautiful meadow and some bovines who already look pretty relaxed to me, and I decompress. That is why I enjoy painting them, a combination of taking myself to that place, and also bringing it as I see and feel it, to you!

"Meet Me Behind the Barn"  14x18   Available

I read an article by artist Keith Bond this morning,

Don't Let Go of the Good to Protest the Bad

 that in a related way reminds us to keep beautiful art in our view, what better way to lift our spirits than to focus on something that takes us to a special place, especially if darkness swirls around us.   He said,

"...we need a counter balance to all the ugliness in the world. We need to be shown that there is beauty, even amidst all the horror and ugliness. We need a respite. We need hope. Art fulfills that need. We need art as a means of rest and restoration and a source of renewal. "

Whether it is literal heat or emotional heat or just fatigue from that we see around us that is wrong and the frustration we feel being unable to change it, never forget to balance that with the good, the beautiful, go away to another place for a while, keep cool.

Here is a virtual visit to my neighbor's gallery in downtown El Cajon, White Sage Gallery with some artwork both hanging and sculpture, I hope it captures your attention and brings you to a happy place. 

When is comes to being an artist I am not sure if there is any more explanation as to what inspires us to paint a certain thing than there is why some music appeals to one person, but not the other, or why some art appeals to one and not the other for that matter.  

Have you thought about what makes a person simply need to have a particular piece of art?  I am moved to paint each piece, sometimes it can take many weeks to finish because I have to wait until inspiration moves me to do so, other times a piece just moves along seamlessly from start to finish, before I know it I'm done.  There is no rhyme or reason, there just is, and I just do.  I wonder if your art collecting experience is like that, you don't really know why, you just need it?  I think this would be a fun exploration, don't you?

I would like to invite you to choose a favorite work of original art, one that you have purchased if possible, and say a few words in the comments below about how you found it, what moved you to own it and about your daily experience living with it.  Say as much or as little as you like, but touch on that moment when you knew it had to be yours and why...

Work In Progress and a few words about my inspiration.

24"x72" 

I am always inspired by colors, shapes and relationships between the subjects.  Some are about the individuals only, but pieces like this are also about the composition elements regardless of the subjects, the negative spaces on either side and the focal point detail area of the faces.  Often people mistake my paintings as just about cows, but there is a strong design element as well that actually has nothing to do with the cows themselves, though is a dimension that I feel is recognized by the mind even if the viewer is not aware of it.

Work in progress 36"x36"

I love how the cows crowd each other, sort of a me first attitude, even the shy ones.  It's that feeling of motion and how they can be totally captivated by you that moved me to do this piece, the different personalities shining through, plus the feeling that you are there watching them do it, a place I love to be. I try to take you there with me.

You are searching online for a cow painting.  You love cows or were raised with them, or perhaps your experience is more like this recent visitor to my website:

"I'm a city girl, I work in the financial industry and its busy and noisy and stessful and when look at a cow for some reason it just calms me down."

You find there are a lot to choose from, in different styles and mediums by as many artists.  How do you make a wise purchase? 

Whether or not it's a cow painting you are looking for, Kristin Hoerth, the Editor of Southwest Art Magazine suggests looking for what moves you:

Editor's Letter-Only The Best:

"Beginning collectors can easily become overwhelmed as they try to understand everything about art all at once. As newcomers realize how much there is to discover—various art movements, terms, styles, and so on—they sometimes get lost in the process and forget to simply notice what moves them."

I thought that was brilliant advice to anyone looking to start collecting art.  Look at a lot of art, with the internet at your fingertips you can expose yourself to as many choices as there are artists.  Make a list of your favorites, and bottom line,  look for what moves you.

There are very many painting styles, and an established artist's style can be recognized.  I'm going to get you started with occasional blog posts spotlighting a different artist.  Frequently, but not always, it will be an artist who paint cows.  Here's my first Spotlight Artist:

If you read some of the art magazines like Southwest Art, Art Collector etc. you are familiar with another well known artist who has put a few cows on canvas, Linda St. Clair, and you will be able to recognize these renderings as classic of her signature style.

"When Harry Met Sally"

By Linda St. Clair    12"x12" 

"Out of the Blue"

By Linda St. Clair   30"x30"

"Rosebud"

By Linda St. Clair   36"x48" 

What do you see that is similar about these three pieces?  A loose, expressive style much different from my own.  Linda says of her work :

" The relationships of color, the brushstroke, the thickness of the paint; these are of primary interest. The dance of the yin and the yang of painting excites me; the contrast of dark and light, thick and thin paint, narrow and wide strokes, warm and cool color. "

It's clearly visible when viewing these pieces that Linda has put the time, experience and thought into what makes her paintings her own style, and she has a very substantial body of work that backs her statement up.

This is a sign of an established, collectible artist.  If you are collecting art, or thinking about it, watch for consistency in an artist's work, as well as a visible, recognizable style.  If you are an aspiring artist this is what you are working toward.

I want to help you see what's out there, and when you decide you have found something that moves you it can be with confidence that it is a wise acquisition.

Whether you find a painting that moves you in my portfolio of cow paintings, or in that of a fellow artist, follow your instincts and don't let that special piece get away.  I've had a few very disappointed clients miss out on what they had their heart set on.