Framed oil painting

10 x 12 (image size) oil on board

Part of what I have found interests me with my American Landscape series is the life that a bovine or two adds to a country scene. This painting features a number of black and white Holsteins.

On my last excursion to rural farm country, I rounded several bends, coming across several breeds I was unfamiliar with.  I’m anxious to research the different breeds and to paint them in their surroundings.  

As I photograph the large bovines, I notice the personality in their faces.  I get a kick out of how they start coming over to me when I approach.  Watching them chew their cud, swish their tails and graze captures my attention to the point where it’s hard for me to move on.  Whether it’s a Hereford, Angus, or Holstein, I’m enjoying painting them thoroughly and I believe they add life, personality and interest to what otherwise might be a lovely but somewhat lifeless landscape.

I hope you enjoy this quiet setting of the Holsteins by the willow and watering hole.  This bucolic landscape was one where I could have spent hours observing the cows, studying cloud formations and observing how changing light would affect shadows and color.