Over 20 years ago, I visited a local farm to learn how to use my new camera and paint something different. I was a portrait artist then, learning to branch out. These paintings came from that time.

**Local Cows**, 9x9” pastels on primed Museum Board

I still love these cows. They’re fun to see again after all these years. They were painted in pastel on museum board gessoed with Art Spectrum blue-gray acrylic pastel primer. Look at the color. The cows are painted in their own reds, browns and whites, set against a cool, dark backdrop.

Working in oils during that same season, I painted an oil on board of this striking character up close.

**Portrait of a Cow**, 12x8” oil on board

It has a very Rembrandt mood, with chiaroscuro light bringing the face out of the shadows. I like the brush strokes here, loose and broken. In a real sense, I was still painting portraits. The cow was my sitter for the day.

Today, I’m much more of an impressionist. Bringing my own painterly approach to every subject, from landscape and animals to still life, florals, portraits and the figure. The throughline is expressive mark making, vibrant color, and painterly realism Here’s what that looks like with cows this month.

**Morning Greeting**, 8x12” pastel on UART400

These begin on UART 400 with a violet underpainting, and you can see it glowing through. Instead of painting the cow’s colors, I’m painting the light. Gold and orange where the sun hits, violet in the shadows. Up close, the character comes through in a few confident marks, like the white face catching the light.

**Autumn Grazing**, 7x14” pastel on UART400

Step back into the pasture, and the cows become a handful of shapes in the landscape. They aren’t the sitter anymore. They’re part of the story the light is revealing.

We don’t stay the same as artists.

Our creativity evolves along with our curiosity, skill, passion, knowledge and experiences. Looking at these cows side by side, I can see that journey on the surface, revealing how I’ve changed and grown.

It’s good to reflect on your artist’s journey sometimes, and discover how far you’ve come. Why not take out something you did years ago, whether it was in art class, a school project, or a painting from a prior season. Then compare it to a recent work. Where do you see growth?

If you could pick up on a theme started long ago, what subject would you love to revisit with fresh eyes?
I rediscovered cows with great joy and a new perspective.

What will you discover?

If you’ve been wanting to paint with greater freedom and bolder color, join the waitlist for my Painterly Still Life Self-Study Course HERE