#38 Talking Cow

8 X 6 Oil on Board

Contact Artist for availability

I have been cussed at by a cow many times, and Mike had it done to him tonight. Tomorrow is a milking day, which means Abbey spends the night in the small corral, separated from "the boys", her foster calves. Mike went out with a bucket of feed to call her up and of course Sophie comes bounding in the lead to be first in line. Her enthusiasm was short lived as she was promptly shut off from the goodies intended for the "queen", Aunt Abbey. Sophie will get her chance this fall when she has her own calf and joins Abbey in the milking line up. But until then, we will just endure her pouting and cussing.
I send grateful appreciation to Karen for this image, a fellow contributor on the Keeping a Family Cow information forum. She says she is NOT a professional photographer, but her images say otherwise...
Isaiah 40:15

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

If you are interested in this painting, click here to send me an email. I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!

#23 - Hamilton - Jersey Steer lived a good life

6 X 6 Oil on mounted canvas $100

Includes shipping and insurance US

This is Hamilton and he was raised by Audrey who lives in upstate New York. Hamilton lived a great life on her farm until he was 18 months old and then fulfilled his destiny of filling a freezer. Hamilton is the epitome of what we, small scale farmers, desire of our animals. A nurtured, cared for life with a dignified ending, continuing to nurture those that cared for them. The cycle of life.
I have come to discover that Audrey is a remarkable young woman with values and intellect that far exceed her youth. She is also lactose intolerant and like a number of people who suffer with this issue, came to discover that fresh milk is perfectly digestible. The purchase of a family milk cow brought all kinds of changes to her and her family and you can read about it HERE on her blog. Our numbers are growing....
Genesis 2:7

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

If you are interested in this painting, click here to send me an email. I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!

#20 Dolly, The Provider - portrait of a Jersey Cow

6X6 Oil on mounted canvas $100

This painting is SOLD

Another cow portrait and an accompanying time lapse video (SEE IT HERE). This lovely animal is no longer alive - but her memory lingers with Janene, her owner and caregiver. Janene is also one of the moderators of the "Keeping a Family Cow" discussion board. If you want to learn about all things cow, this is the place (as well as all things chicken, bunnies, goats, pigs and sheep with an occasional horse!)
This challenge has been quite beneficial for me to practice small, planned paintings. It is teaching me to follow certain steps of production that I don't always follow...especially when I set up the camera to film a time lapse. I do not know how to edit the videos, so what I shoot (in one take) is what I get. And aside from knocking the tripod a couple times, they have all gone pretty smoothly.
I know ya'll must be getting bored with all the cow portraits, but I promise there are other animals coming up!
Psalm 23:6

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

If you are interested in this painting, click here to send me an email. I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!

What Cows Do Best

6 X 8 Ink on index $25

Includes shipping and insurance

There's not much grass left in the pasture for this kind of activity. No rain means no grass...and no flowers for the bees. I am feeding them a quart of 50% sugar water a day - and they'd take more. The bees are NOT in a good mood, either. When I removed the empty sugar water jar last night at sundown, they came after me and I got stung on the hand. Now half my right hand is swollen and itchy - not good. Guess I'd better start walking more cautiously around them!
The chickens are cutting back on their laying, too - but good old Moe, the naked-neck chicken, is uglier than ever and still laying the biggest eggs every day. Today's Sunday school lesson for my teenagers was about God not seeing the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.
Same with Moe - she would end up last place in a chicken beauty pageant - heck, they may not even let her in!!!! But she is the best layer AND the best at getting after the grasshoppers. AND she survived the great coyote massacre of 2010. As far as I am concerned, she is perfect.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Buy this drawing on PayPal
Price: $25 USD
Or, send me an email

 I accept checks and Paypal. I can also arrange LAYAWAY. To view my latest paintings on Daily Painters go HERE. To view larger paintings, go to my Website HERE. To view a wealth of OTHER Texas Artists, enjoy THIS site!

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

Where Cows Are Happy

SOLD to a California Collector
8 X 10 Oil on gessoed masonite $125
Includes shipping and insurance in U.S.

I was searching for a barn to use in a background horse painting and came across the photos I took 2 1/2 years ago in upstate New York. This farm was right out of a movie set, somewhere in the Finger Lakes region. Grass so green my eyes hurt. Clear blue skies with just a hint of clouds. Cows so perfect, it looked they they had just been washed for show. Up there, the dairy herds are still small and managed by families - not like the 1,000+ cow herds in Texas and California. THESE cows are individually known and cared for. Some dairy farmers in Texas are still like that, but so many have turned to the mechanized processes and use a hundred hired hands, rather than family members to work the farms. They HAVE to when the milking is done practically around the clock.
We had a milk cow back in the early 80's when my kids were babies and I was still a hippy. They were started on raw milk and butter and never suffered from it. Knowing how to milk a cow came in handy later when we were raising the Simmentals. Occasionally a momma cow would reject a baby, and in the interest of getting colostrum into a calf quickly, we would catch the cow and I would milk her (unwillingly) and get it into the calf. Often that was all the incentive the cow and calf would need to bond. Momma cows were sometimes like people - they just needed a little instruction on how to care for their babies. Usually after a little help and a push in the right direction, they'd be just fine.
Proverbs 30:33
For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.

How Do You Bend Like That?

5 X 7 Oil on Masonite $100
Includes Shipping and Insurance

I am reluctantly posting this painting because I really don't like it all. It has been an effort to get it done, and I am quitting at this point and posting it. My painting "Muse" is on vacation, I think. I am really struggling right now to paint and the harder I work, the more I hate the results.
It's time to go back to basics and evaluate the best advice I received from my favorite teachers...
I am in contact with other Daily Painters and several are finding themselves with the same "block" that I seem to be experiencing. I don't know if it's the phase of the moon or just a general feeling of angst over the current state of the world. I don't worry about myself or my immediate family - we will be fine. Maybe not financially, but certainly spiritually and that's what really counts. But I do fear hard times are around the corner and I am praying for many...
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Patriotic Cattle

8 X 10 Oil on Canvas Board $125
Includes shipping and insurance

Ron's cattle are quite colorful (red, white and blue!), and when these three lined up, it made a painting in my head. I probably should have saved it for the next Fourth of July, but I couldn't resist sharing it with you now.
Ron is home from the hospital now - the quadruple by-pass was successful, although he gave us quite a scare with complications following it. The niceness of one's neighbors can make all the difference in the world in how you feel about your own home, and we do have the nicest. And even though our closest is 4 football fields away, they are all important to us.
Romans 13:9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Time to Leave the Nest

8 X 10 Oil on Masonite $125
Includes Shipping and Insurance

My neighbor, Ron, leases our pasture for his roping cattle. Some are Longhorns, some are unidentifiable. All are entertaining and pleasing to the artistic eye.
This is my favorite cow and her spring-born bull calf who is obviously getting pretty big for his britches. It won't be long before he's bigger than his momma!
Ron's in the hospital right now, though, and cannot wean the calves yet. There are 4 pretty big babies, and since we have beautiful grass right now, I suspect he'll get to that chore when he comes home - or we'll do it for him. Just like some human children, leaving Momma's care is traumatic for calves. It usually means several days of listening to constant bawling when we separate them, but ultimately everyone is happier in the end. Just like with people....
Romans 8:39
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Safety in Momma's Shadow 3

5 X 7 Oil on Masonite $115
includes shipping and insurance
SOLD to a California Collector

I didn't think I would get to paint today. As a result of this year's New Years Resolution to get up-to-date on medical check-ups, I had a colonoscopy this morning. The procedure was a snap - the preparation was awful. I had no problem not eating all day yesterday, but the laxative and resulting you-know-what was dreadful. Thankfully everything was fine (and I have pictures to prove it!) and I won't need this done again for 10 years. I have a feeling I won't do it EVER again! But I must admit that it's a relief to know I am OK. I had a dear friend pass away last year due to colon cancer, and I'm sure it was a lot less pleasant than the procedure I just experienced. There, I just talked myself out of complaining any more...God Bless you, Mary Ann. We miss you.
One of the nice things about my studio is a big picture window looking our over the pasture. When the cows come up to nap under the trees, I always see them. Yesterday morning when they came up, I dashed out to take MORE pictures (I can hear their bovine brains thinking "Not HER again. SMILE, ladies!") One by one, I plan to paint each Momma with her baby. This is number 2. In my opinion, the first cow was the prettiest. This one is the smallest with the tiniest heifer calf, and she's really skiddish - hard to get close, so I have to use the zoom lens.
This afternoon Merideth and I went out to get some new pictures of the horses, and of course the dogs came with us for a chance to play. Easy has become the Uncle Babysitter and Dandy looks to him for protection as much as her mother. PJ is fine with the arrangement - so much so that while we were playing, she continued to graze 100 yards away - totally unconcerned with us playing with her baby.
First Georgia chased the horses, then the horses chased her, then they all ran together.
I don't know if you can tell, but Dandy is changing colors. She is losing the reddish colored baby fur and underneath she is a dark-almost-black. I will probably have to register her as a brown paint, because she isn't a true black, but she will appear black if I keep her out of the sun - like her grand-dam, Miss Jack.
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.

Old 33's Last Calf

11 X 14 Oil on Masonite Board $110
Includes Shipping and Handling
SOLD to a California Collector

This old cow belongs to a neighbor of mine. We walk past his pasture every morning and I always take my camera with me. Ken is a pretty savvy cattle rancher. He buys older pregnant cows for bargain prices (most are on their way to McDonalds) and gives them one more chance on his farm. Most of the time the results are good. The cows have beautiful calves and often even breed back several more times. I have no idea how old this cow is, but she had one really nice calf this Spring. Unfortunately, it may be her last - she didn't look too thrifty last time I saw her. But at least she's gotten to live on Ken's lush coastal pasture these past few months.
I used to name all our cows and their calves - most would eat out of our hand, and several were even halter broke to lead. One I could milk in the pasture as she grazed (this was YEARS ago!) Unfortunately, the goal of raising cattle is for commercial purposes, though, and the ultimate reason for their existence is our consumption, so I had to distance myself from that thinking - something hard for an animal lover to do.
When we ceased raising registered Simmental 6 years ago, we sold the best of the herd to a fellow rancher and they still have several of our original cows (they can live 20 years), and many of their offspring. Ann still sends me pictures of the babies. And you know something? Most of the cattle ranchers I know care nearly as much for their cattle as we did - happy cows breed better, have healthier babies and fewer expensive problems. I still eat steak, though.
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.

Dave's Hay Barns

6 X 8 Oil on Masonite $100 postage included

Another image from my daily morning walk. My neighbor, Dave, built several new hay barns/shelters a couple years ago and started putting up lots of hay. It turned out that he was brilliant to do so, because our area of Texas has been suffering from drought for quite a while. Dave, in the meantime, has been like the industrious ant - working like crazy while the rest of us grasshoppers party and have a grand time! His cows haven't gone hungry, and he has profited well from the rising cattle prices. GO DAVE!
Dave takes his stewardship of his farm seriously and it spills over into both his personal and his business life. We could all learn from him...
Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink

Dave's Cow

5 X 7 Oil on Masonite $100 SOLD

I walk with friends every morning at 8:00 and our route takes us by a pasture full of black cows. I rarely walk without my pocket camera and yesterday was no different. Cows usually stick together - whether it be eating or napping - they usually do everything as a group. This cow, however, had separated herself from the rest of the herd to get a drink - her herdmates were way across the pasture surrounding a big bale of hay munching happily. Most people wouldn't notice (or care), but I did and got a lovely picture in good morning light. The girls I walk with are used to me snapping photos and asked if I was going to paint her that day. As soon as I got home I did...Dave raises some really nice cows.
John 4:10
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Cow Have Secrets, Too

I painted this painting before my recent surge and commitment to improvement through practice. I'm going to paint it again today and show the difference.

I titled it "Cows Have Secrets, Too" and I used it on a birthday card last year for my Mom. The inside said something like "It's no secret that you are a having a birthday! Have a GREAT one!"

Proverbs 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.

Cow

We raised Simmental cattle for over 20 years and they were all tame and friendly. It takes special people to raise livestock that will be eventually eaten. And, yes, we ate our own animals. It would be hypocritical to do otherwise. But we were always careful to maintain the best of conditions for them while they were in our care.

This little painting is available for purchase directly from me while it is drying dglincoln@embarqmail.com and will be placed on eBay for auction later.

Psalm 95:7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

Halfway Caught

I go to a lot of rodeos both to watch and enjoy and to gather material for paintings. I am almost always guaranteed some great photos and ideas - especially when there are animals involved.

This calf was in the middle of a "mugging" - no someone wasn't trying to steal his wallet! Two cowboys were chasing him around an open arena - with one assigned to rope him and the other intent on grabbing him, throwing him to the ground and tying his feet. Not many more rules than that. Rope him however you can and get him to stay on the ground for a pre-determined length of time. All within 60 seconds or less.

Proverbs 15:17Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.