I Never Saw a Purple Cow

6 X 8 oil on masonite $115
includes shipping and insurance

...and you're not seeing one now! This cow is more blue than purple, but it's still a bit on the fantasy side, I'd say.
One of my Daddy's favorite poems to quote when he was in a silly mood was "I never saw a purple cow, I never thought I'd see one. But I tell you this right now: I'd rather see one than be one." I'm not really sure if there's some really deep philosophical meaning in that poem - but I do know that it made a little girl giggle every time she heard it.
Song of Solomon 6:9
but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The maidens saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 US Shipping and insurance included
Or, send me an email

Palo Duro 3

There's no way to capture the REAL color of Palo Duro Canyon, but I can fantasize, can't I?! The landscape is a fantasy, too, but the ridge is real.
Mark 14:48
"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Grass Fire

nodp
California doesn't hold the patent on scary fires - we have 'em in Texas, too. Last Friday, a vehicle was unknowingly driven while on fire down Hwy 281 and it set off a series of grass fires between Morgan Mill and Stephenville. The inferno quickly became out of hand and threatened a number of homes, barns and hay fields. The only way to put out fires in the country is to physically haul the water in a tanker/pumper truck to the site of the fire. We do not enjoy the luxury of hydrants. And if the fire is in an out-of -the-way place, like this one was - across gullies, dense cedar growths and through fences, it becomes even harder to extinguish. Often the best thing to be done is bulldoze a fire break. All the local volunteer fire departments were called in (Huckabay, Morgan Mill, Bluff Dale and Oak Dale, to mention a few) and the forest service helped the next day by bulldozing a fire break.
No structures were lost nor were any animals injured (a number of ranchers loaded up and moved their horses, though). Several of our church members are volunteer fire fighters and I thank God every day for them and the nasty job they do. Several of them went with very little sleep for a couple days. I hate hearing their pagers go off....
I also hate seeing on the horizon the tell-tale white plumes of smoke that mean another fire has started - something all too common this time of year in Texas.
Psalm 68:2
As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God

Louisiana Cattle 2

9 X 12 Oil on canvas

SOLD to a collector in Louisiana

Louisiana landscapes are so different from Texas. Moss replaces cactus and water replaces blowing sand. White face cattle in the north, Brahman crosses in the south. Live oaks thrive both places and so do the cypress trees.

Sometimes I miss the lush greenness of my home state of Louisiana. Much of the state is like a greenhouse - warm and humid. We lived in Illinois in the early 70's and while there I literally longed for the radiant, blazing heat of the south - both the dry heat of Texas and the sweat-inducing humid coastal heat that you can only get on a beach (or central Louisiana).

My husband loves the mountains, and so do I. But my tendency is to hibernate in the cool mountains - the heat seems to stimulate life! Why are we never happy where we are?????

Ecclesiastes 5:19
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.

Media: oil
Size: 12 in X 9 in (30.5 cm X 22.9 cm)

How to Purchase:
send me an email

Behind the Wire

Title says it all. I am feeling locked in, locked up, locked down. The people in charge aren't paying attention. I am healthy and fed, but I am still behind the wire. What is my fate? I actually know it, but it saddens me that so many do not. Or are mistaken.

Ecclesiastes 3:19
Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath ; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless.
Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Race to the Flames

Facing the flaming future fearlessly. I love alliteration - especially in art! Talk radio has been ominous lately. I don't know what to believe, but I refuse to run and hide. My art will reflect this for a while, I think.

I have been having a number of conversations with God lately and most of these talks have centered around death. Not just my own, but people close to me. I lost my father 25 years ago, and I still miss him, but I have no doubt where he is and that I'll see him again. I still have my adorable mother and both my incredible in-laws in my life - and they, too, are going where I'm going. Hopefully, not soon, but every one's path terminates eventually and the older you get, the more you think about it.

I had a revelation the other day as I was drying my hair over the air conditioning unit outside (this has been my practice for a number of years). After we die (if we believe in God, that is) so MANY questions are answered. I have always been a questioner, and I always want to know how stuff works, and why we do something a certain way, etc. I cannot WAIT to have all my questions answered. That ALONE makes the future less ominous. I'm still gonna paint flames for a while, though, because I like them.

Ecclesiastes 7:10
Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $125 US includes shipping and insurance
Or, send me an email

Face the Flames

A topic on the radio today forecast the end of the world in 2012. Scary stuff and late-night food for thought, to be sure. I prefer not to think about it, but I DO try to live my life today as if there was no tomorrow - here in THIS world, at any rate.

Regardless of the future, we need to face it, head on, without fear. This painting is purely from my imagination - rare for me. I may need to paint the image in a large format - if you are interested, please contact me for a commission. I am leaning toward the most colorful, semi-abstract images right now, and I would really enjoy doing some BIG canvases!

Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.

Media: oil
Size: 14 in X 11 in (35.6 cm X 27.9 cm)
Price: $200 US includes shipping and insurance

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $200 USD
Or, send me an email

HURRY!

This horse is a lovely mare belonging to friend Marie (owner of that gorgeous black and white arab/paint foal). This mare has a cute foal, too and I'll probably paint her eventually.

That reminds me: I haven't had a "Dandy update" lately. She's still growing with no problems. She's not yet as big as her dam, but she could be close by next spring. I honestly won't mind if she stays under 15 hands, either. Plans are for her to be the grandkids' horse so smallish is good. Next spring we will begin some groundwork with her - and put a saddle on her for the first time. Given her size, we may wait until next fall, or even the following spring to do any kind of "hard" training. It has been common practice for horse breeders to start training their animals at two years of age - and in many cases for thoroughbreds, before that age. Quite often the body appears ready, but the mind is not. And quite often, neither are ready. Since I intend to keep Dandy forever and want the best health from her, I will give her bones ever chance to fully mature. And since competition is not an issue, there is no need to rush training....

2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 5.25 in (20.3 cm X 13.3 cm)
Price: $100 US includes shipping and insurance

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD
Or, send me an email

Palo Duro Inspiration

The colors in Palo Duro Canyon change dramatically with the time of day and the seasons of the year. We spent a crisp November week camping there several years ago and I cannot wait to go again.
I have a potential collector who has sent me photos from the canyon along with a commission request. At this point I am experimenting with color and composition. I have already painted this site several times, and each time the resulting image changes - much like the canyon itself.
I still have several other ideas in my head - so keep watching!
Luke 12:37
It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.

Media: oil
Size: 19 in X 18 in (48.3 cm X 45.7 cm)
Price: $250 US plus shipping and insurance

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $250 USD plus $15 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Texas Sunset

Yes, the sky really looked like this from my front door about 3 weeks ago. Our house faces N/W and I am privileged to view some exciting storms rolling in AND some equally magnificent sunsets. It appears as if the rainy season is over, though. Some parts of the state have received FEET of rain (Dallas), but we have had only bare minimum. Enough to grow hay, but not enough to fill stock tanks or replenish the water table. The wild flowers did put on quite a show, too and a prettier than I can remember in many years. I guess I'll need to buy hay from the first cut, like I did last year. Can't count on another one later this summer....

Speaking of flowers, my favorites for a long time have been day lilies. My grandfather in Louisiana grew them and even cross pollinated some varieties to develop some new ones. Dependable bloomers for all of July - in shade or full sun.

Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.
Media: oil
Size: 7 in X 5 in (17.8 cm X 12.7 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 US includes shipping and insurance
Or, send me an email

Windy Day

It's looking like the spring rains are over and summer is in full swing here in Texas - hot, drying winds and hot cloudless skies. This is Easy last Fall at the end of a very hot summer.

I have been extremely busy for the past several weeks and have been unable to find a block of time to paint. So far I have canned over 48 quarts of green beans and dug bushels of onions and potatoes. This afternoon we begin to harvest the sweet corn. I couldn't wait and picked 6 ears last night - a little early - but they were so good! Today I expect to get at least 50 ears and they'll be off the cobb before I go to bed tonight. Tomatoes are beginning to turn pink, too, so my time to paint may again be limited. This is all in a effort to prove that we CAN really live off our farm. Now if I can only entice the deer and turkies to hang around WITHOUT eating the garden!

Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.

Media: oil
Size: 7 in X 5 in (17.8 cm X 12.7 cm)
Price: $115 US includes shipping and insurance

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Louisiana Cattle

5 X 7 Oil on Masonite $115
Includes Shipping and Insurance

I had a request from a collector to paint something similar to another painting I had already completed - only in Louisiana, with water. This led to a lovely "conversation" getting to know her and her connection to Louisiana - my home state. She asserted that she liked one of my paintings with cows in a pasture, only she would like to see the tree with moss (like Louisiana) and some water close by. She also wants me to use the "faces" of cattle that are owned by her family.
So I am playing with colors and composition now - morning light here (more pink) and the next one may be afternoon (more orange). The main consideration is composition and light color. The rest I can wing.
If you see 3 momma cows and their calves, your eyes are working correctly. But don't get too close - this is IMPRESSIONISM!
Psalm 18:28
You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite $115
Includes shipping and insurance

I am still experimenting with color and technique. Palo Duro Canyon, near Amarillo is a colorful treat for the eyes in every season, and as the day progresses, the colors continue to change as well.

We camped there several years ago in November and the weather was fabulous. Crisp, clear air greeted us every morning. Our campsite was in the bottom of the canyon, so the overall feeling was of being in the mountains. When the sun finally rose over the canyon walls and hit us on the canyon floor, it was nearly like being in Colorado. And the hiking trails were varied enough to please not only the strollers, but also the serious hikers who enjoy challenges.

Acts 21:19
Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry
Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Losing Edges

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite $115
Includes shipping and insurance

Color and action SHOULD be easy to capture in a running red horse - you would think! I am playing around with paint and trying out some new techniques and colors. I am also about to try some new painting grounds that were suggested to me by fellow artist, Kathy Tate of Stephenville. So I'm trying to use up all the masonite and canvas boards I already have prepared. I probably won't like everything I attempt, but to do nothing teaches me nothing. I will post it all, good and not-so-good.

Isaiah 48:17
This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Lookin' For Love in All the Wrong Places

18 X 24 Oil on Canvas
Contact Artist for Availability

I started this painting several weeks ago and just couldn't get into it. Originally it had only the cow images - no horse. And I knew it was missing something. Then I remembered when neighbor, Ron, kept his roping horse in the pasture adjacent to ours. One single horse. All alone. Sometimes my horses would hang out with him, separated by the fence. But if I moved them to another pasture, he'd be all alone and looking so sad. Georgia, the Border-Collie-Wanna-Be would go visit him in the morning when she'd do her rounds, and he'd welcome her company, but it wasn't the same as having his horsey neighbors visit.
Horses, like dogs are extremely social animals. They need another warm body nearby, and preferably their own kind. Every now and then you'll run into one who is perfectly happy all alone, but it's rare. They will follow cows around while they graze if they have no other choice. It's their nature to be part of a herd. And many race horses are stabled with companion ponies or goats for that very reason. It keeps them happy, proving that there is a match out there for everyone and every animal.
Psalm 55:13
But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,

Baby Horses

nodp
I had heard that fellow Morgan Millite Marie Beckett had 3 new foals this spring - with the latest an exceptionally loud black and white Paint/Arab colt. I called her yesterday to see if I could come take photos. I was rewarded with some terrific action shots which I will share with her.
Marie has a good eye and instinct about brood mares and who to pair them up with. She raised Arabians for years and now has some Paints as well. She said she wasn't going to breed the black mare again this year, but is wavering now after getting such a nice colt. She said it's hard to part with one so fancy, and I know the feeling. It's hard to sell ANY of them, which is why I didn't breed PJ back this year. I would have to sell either the resulting foal or Dandy.
It was the same with my little dog, Kibble. Had I let her have puppies, I doubt I could have let go of any of them, and we could have ended up with a house full of little Kibbles. Ouch, my ears!!!!
I am sure you have noticed that I have not posted a painting in a while. It's partly because I am very busy doing other thing - quilting, vegetable gardening, riding, etc. I have painted daily for 2 years straight and I'm contemplating taking a hiatus for the rest of the summer. I want to take stock of the work I have already done and probably experiment in some new directions.
Meantime, I have started another blog (http://debbieshorses.blogspot.com/) which you can do to directly from HERE. I'll continue to post family news and stuff that I do, but the art I will probably keep to myself for a while. Hopefully I'll have some new work after Labor Day.
Be patient with me, my faithful followers! And God bless you all.

1. Romans 12:12
   Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
   Romans 12:11-13 (in Context) Romans 12 (Whole Chapter)
2. 1 Corinthians 13:4
   Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
   1 Corinthians 13:3-5 (in Context) 1 Corinthians 13 (Whole Chapter)
3. 2 Corinthians 1:6
   If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.
   2 Corinthians 1:5-7 (in Context) 2 Corinthians 1 (Whole Chapter)
4. Ephesians 4:2
   Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
   Ephesians 4:1-3 (in Context) Ephesians 4 (Whole Chapter)
5. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
   And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Light One Candle

Light One Candle

About This Painting:
This was a precious attendee at my church this past Easter and I could not resist painting her. The pastor had all the children hold lit candles as a symbol of what just one individual can do. It was a moving sight because even the little ones held candles. But believe me - all us adults were poised to run for extinguishers! I am happy to report that nothing caught fire and no wax was dripped!

Psalm 68:2
As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
Media: oil on gessoed masonite
Size: 6 in X 8 in (15.2 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD includes shipping and insurance
Or, send me an email

Don't Eat the Bluebonnets

6 X 8 Oil on Gessoed Masonite $115

Includes shipping and insurance

Springtime in Texas continues to be full of color and life. Bluebonnets and at least 20 other wildflowers abound in our pastures and the show isn't over with yet.

The bluebonnets are just about past their brightest bloom, but the Gallardia (Indian Blanket), Paint Brush, Verbena, Primrose and Wine Cup are all growing well with Gayfeather, Phlox, Coneflower, Black Eyed Susan and Mexican Hat all catching up. For a GREAT reference and fabulous photos, go HERE. I have seen many of these showing off throughout the Southwest and on up into Nortern Montana. Texas doesn't hold a monopoly on them, but we sure act like we do this time of year!

Today is wonderfully sunny, breezy and dry. I plan to ride Easy tonight for the first time since he came back home. Gotta go do my stetching exercises so I can get up on him......

Isaiah 35:2
it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD Includes shipping and insurance

Add $20 for really nice red cedar frame.

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $115 USD
Or, send me an email

Or, send me an email

Two For Supper

Chickens are opportunists and not real picky about what they eat. Horse feed, cattle feed, dog food and seeds that fall from the bird feeders. All are fair game and they seem to know the schedule of all the other animals getting fed.
The chickens in my paintings are not ours - they are free roaming "town" birds and are generally considered to be owned by Cecil Rasberry. When I need a chicken picture, I hop into my truck, drive to town (about a mile and a half), cruise slowly through Morgan Mill (takes about 5 seconds) and just look for chickens - they are everywhere. At any given point in time, there are probably 3 roosters, each in charge of a variable number of hens. Two weeks ago I saw 2 hens shepherding a dozen chicks each and I may paint them soon, too.

Painting unframed. Price includes shipping and insurance. Add $20 for framed, as shown.
Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

This painting is SOLD
If you are interested in another one similar
send me an email

Easy Update: Bad news and Good News
First the Bad news: Easy did not pass his vet check.
Good News: He is back home with us and he is NOT seriously hurt. In fact, his X-rays show nothing. But during the flex and walk off check done by 2 vets, he is slightly gimpy on his left hind leg. Jennifer understandably did not want to pursue the reason for his tenderness - which may or may not be correctable and could be very expensive to track down. Easy has never taken a bad step with me, but I have never ridden him hard, either. But being an ex-racehorse, we do know that those hocks and pasterns were put under great stress during training and racing, so there could be some damage in there. But for now he is OK, and I have decided not to ever sell him and give him the comfortable loving home he deserves for the rest of his life.
So those of you following this blog will be seeing plenty more of him and PJ and Dandy in my paintings - and maybe I'll even teach him to lie down so I can still get on him when I'm old and too feeble to mount from the ground! Could happen - I've seen it done!
In case you're wondering, that cute buckskin paint in the background is just visiting.
1 John 5:2
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.

Photos of Calf Working

I promised a bunch of cowboys to post the photos I took of them at the calf working last Friday. I am limited to how many I can post, and since each of my photos is a very large file, I can't post many.
Hey, guys, click HERE and it will take you to the Flickr file (I hope). Please e-mail me (debbiegraysonlincoln@yahoo.com) if you could view them OK. And if you want the whole CD (there's over 1 gig of photos), I'll be happy to mail it to you.

Working Cowboy

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite
SOLD

These paintings look pretty neat together. In actuality, 5 cowboys handled all those animals Tuesday, and eventually I will paint them all. They took turns roping, inoculating, branding and castrating. And for you curious folks out there, yes, the "calf fries" were saved for lunch later. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, another name is "mountain oysters" and you can go here to learn what they are and how to prepare them. See, you CAN learn something new every day!
Tomorrow I go to another cattle working, and I may take my own horse to that one. I won't participate, but it's good for the horse to go. I have been putting Dandy in and out of the trailer for three days, and this morning we (PJ, Dandy and I) went to the vet for their yearly visit. Dandy did very well - of course she only had to go a couple miles, but we had no trouble going in and backing out. Another milestone in her development.
Isaiah 1:17
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Calf Working - Get 'er Done!

8 X 6 Oil on Masonite
SOLD

I attended a cattle working at a friend's ranch yesterday. This friend is in a position where he no longer has to risk his own neck to get the rough jobs accomplished - he can afford to call in the experts. In our neck of the woods, the ranchers like to call Barry Clower when they have a bunch of calves to "work". Barry rounds up his buddies - all good hands with ropes and horses - and they show up and get the job done - efficiently and usually safely.
I pulled up in front of the working pens yesterday morning around 7:30 am. It was an overcast, dreary morning, and over 60 momma cows and their fat calves and two big bulls were already penned and in the process of being separated.
By 10:30 all the calves were roped, inoculated, ear tagged, wormed and the bull calves castrated. Mommas received their shots and worming, and several were branded. One older cow had her teeth checked and was declared good enough to go another season, and the heifers with first calves were hauled off to a separate pasture for extra feeding. I estimate that in all about 125 animals were handled - with minimum stress and with no permanent injuries. Only one cow came up dry (no calf) which I consider pretty good stats for a herd of over 60 cows. It says a lot for Brahman/Hereford cows. Good breeders and good mommas. And when you cross 'em with a Charolais bull you get some really nice calves.
These two paintings are designed to hang together or separate. I'll show them framed together in tomorrow's post.
Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Longhorn Bluebonnet Mama

SOLD to a Texas Collector

About This Painting:
It's rained in Texas, the wildflowers are fabulous, the grass is so green it hurts my eyes and the cows and their babies have had baths so they are all fresh and clean. Color abounds.
I have recently acquired a bunch of really nice Texas Cedar frames for the 8 X 6's and 5 X 7's and I am offering them for an extra $20, including shipping. I PROMISE you will love them!

Psalm 119:50
My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life

Media: oil
Size: 8 in X 6 in (20.3 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $115 USD

How to Purchase:

This painting is SOLD
Or, send me an email

Dandy Lesson

nodp


It's Spring and time for inoculations - both doggie and horsey.
Dandy has never been in a trailer, so I thought it might be a good time to learn.
It took 5 minutes and we were in all the way, backing out, in part of the way and backing out and again in all the way and backing out. I know, Trista, I shouldn't have led her in, but we are still working on the "go forward cues" (see movie!) I don't anticipate any future problems.

Goodbye Easy

nodp
I skipped church this morning to go pick up my trailer at Trista's in Hamilton and to meet the young lady who wants to give Easy a new career. Her name is Jennifer and she rides mostly English, which is exactly the job I have always envisioned for this horse. After quite a bit of "coaxing" Easy loaded into their single horse trailer and was off to San Antonio and his new home. Jennifer has 4 weeks to decide if they are a perfect match - if not, he'll come back to me and probably be allowed to do pretty much whatever he wants for the rest of his life. I am praying they work well together, though, because I have a feeling that Easy will get the attention and direction and care for the rest of his days that he deserves.
Oh, and Jennifer - I did notice that you have a BIG birthday this month. :-) Pretty good gift, I'd say!