Paint-out at a ranch

"By the Haystack"  6 x 6 oil

"Corral by the Barn"  8 x 10 oil

Earlier this week we painted at fellow artist Ida's cattle ranch.  Around 9 painters came and Ida and Bruce opened up the ranch to us all to paint.  There were so many views and different interesting things to paint that we all had difficulty deciding where to set up.  Since we were having wind that day, I set up low and sat on a chair.  I actually did two paintings!  All from the same location.

We all had a wonderful time.  Thank you again, Ida!

"Across the Ice" pastel painting

"Across the Ice" 11 x 14 pastel

One thing that is nice about pastel is that you can be interrupted, for an hour, a day, a week or more.  No paints to dry out.  No paints to try to mix to match the colors you already have on the canvas.

I started this painting and was interrupted for a while and then we went on a week vacation.  Back home, I picked up where I left on and finished this today.

The cows were a challenge!  I certainly should draw them more, but they were just a novelty for me this time.  Still, I do love pastoral scenes and would like to do more in the future...

Painting cattle...for the first time....

9 x 12 oil on panel

Yesterday two other artists and I went to an historic ranch called Silver Saddle Ranch outside of Carson City, NV.  It was a charming old ranch with cattle in different fields.  Some had given birth to calves already.

I worked with my new oil set up (oops - I forgot to post pictures of it) and it was much better than the French Easel.  You can see a little of my set up below:

I worked longer in the field - maybe 2 or 2-1/2 hours.  It was hard!  The cattle keep moving!  So I finished it today at home.  The only problem is...I think my cattle look like pot-bellied pigs!  (Kinda small).  The cattle in the background were real hard - they are just blobs, but they have to LOOK like cattle blobs!   Oh well....it was fun to try!  And I enjoy a good challenge.