Babysitter

9 X 12 Oil on canvas board
SOLD to a collector in California

In nearly every herd of cattle, there always seems to be one cow who is a bit more protective of not only her calf but all the other cows' calves, and she becomes the self-appointed babysitter. In Ron's herd, that cow is Freckles. I don't dare get closer than 100 feet to this cow, and I NEVER get close with Georgia, the Border-collie-wanna-be, unless I want some long horns shaken at me and the dog chased all the way home. This is mid-morning nap time at the Longhorn Calf Day Care Center, and Freckles seems to take her guardian job seriously.
I started this painting while in Granbury this weekend, but I got frustrated with it (actually I preferred visiting with the tourists more than painting, and I lost my concentration!). This is a difficult cow to paint, due to all her freckles, and her calf is no easier. But just like painting a brick building - you don't paint every brick, and here you don't paint every freckle. Through use of color, you hint at the freckles - and believe me, there's a million of 'em! And her calf looks just like her, so I'll be getting lots of freckle painting practice in the months to come....
Isaiah 30:23
He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.