The weather cooperated yesterday so that my dear art buddies, Laura (http://laurelines.typepad.com) and Sue (http://www.flickr.com/photos/loveitaly) and I finally got together to go to a local dairy farm and paint cows -- or ATTEMPT to paint cows -- in my case.
These charming, friendly bovines were just adorable -- each with a face that really had such charm and curisosity about us. (I just LOVED their little "Pebbles" style topknots on the top of their heads!!!) They were fenced in and apparently we had arrived at their feeding time. So while they were curious about us being there, they were far more interested in lunch!
We quickly unpacked chairs and sketchpads and set to work. HA! Unlike barns and fields, these fickle fellows and ladies apparently didn't like our intense eye-study. They'd face us for a while, turn their backs, walk around, eat, move, graze, move, turn, move, move, move ...and drive me, the slowest sketcher, a tad daffy! BUT, I did manage a bit of a leg from Jenny, a bit of a tail from Harry, a stance from Sally, and a pile of straw that, thankfully, DID keep still, and took photos to try to put it all together once I got home and the PHOTO, thank heavens, kept still.
Coming away from this experience I continue to marvel at all I have before me to learn. Better drawing skills, QUICKER sketching skills, improving my memory, contour drawing, etc., etc., etc.!!
Nonetheless, the joy of painting plein air remains strong for me. The air, sunshine, fellowship of art friends, the DIRECT EXPERIENCE with one's subject (whether one's sketch is successful or not) is worth the time taken to experience and always, always, ALWAYS, to practice.
When the sun reached a bit after the lunch hour, we packed up our gear and headed for some superb gelato -- then back to Laura's to ooh, ahh, drool over, and plan-to-order a number of travel sketchbooks.
A good day -- even if Ms. Bess turned out to be not quite "all together" herself!
15 comments:
Your cow is fantastic! The expression and stance are priceless. Love your use of colors.
Thank you for such a wonderful telling of your day, I certainly feel like I was there. You've done a tremendous job on ole Bess -- she's got an adorable face and, by golly, she most certainly DOES look exactly like a cow. Wonderful browns on her - those can be difficult.
what a great subject....cows are sloooow mooooing and moooving! And what fun to get together with other EDM buddies as well. Your cow sketches are really done well and am enjoying your plein air musings
Great job; I love that they have personalities and you've captured a really neat one with the hay sticking out of her mouth. I grew up in VT -- cow country then -- and she brings back a lot of tail switching memories of going to my cousin's farm and "bringing in the cows for milking at in the late afternoon." Come boss! Come boss!
Love it!
Lorraine
Love your account of your day! And you've come out of it with a great character in Bess - well done! I'm sure that the experience of sketching has given that painting much more character and life that you have in your practice study from the earlier reference photo that you did last week.
sorry - that should be 'than' you have in your practice study.
So cuuuute! You're doing great with your plein air painting! I loved your description of moving parts. It's so true!
Oh cute! Sounds like a fabulous day!
Wonderful storytelling and sketch! We had fun, didn't we?? I just, finally, posted about our day, too.
Can't wait til next time ;D.
Lin - this is a Great Cow you captured her perfectly! I bet you had Fun too.
Wonderful sketch Lin, you really captured that special look they have!
Oh, oh, oh, I LOVE it! SO much cooler than your practice cow, BRAVA, as you say!
And what a gloriously fun day. You need that, as much as you work, sweet thing!
I love your cow... you did a wonderful job! I'll going to get a cup of coffee and come back and read more of your blog!
I'm so glad I found your blog. I'm going to enjoy looking at your beautiful art. Sandy
Oh, she's just wonderful! And it sounds like you all had the best time! (The rest of us are simply envious ... we're talking about you all behind your backs, you know...)
;-D
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