Angus Calf - Finally Final!

Black Angus Calf - gouache

I wasn't really happy with the background of the previous photo so I changed it again!  I'll still let it marinate a bit before varnishing but I think this is it although I may add some darker color in the corners.  This being gouache, any paint put on top of paint already there will soften that paint layer and blend into it so I'm naturally a bit reluctant to do any more to it.  We'll see.

Backgrounds are the bane of artists and one fellow artist said she switched to painting landscapes just to avoid them!  I don't think I'm quite ready to do that but backgrounds certainly are a PITA!

3/25/14  Hi all!  I've come back a day later to say that I added some darker color to the corners which made the background pop more.  While I did like the blue background, I thought it was too bright and intense and overshadowed the calf.  This gold background makes the painting look a bit flat in this photo but looks much better in real life.  It complements the blue in the calf (which also doesn't show well here) and I think the painting is improved. 

Black Angus Calf Revised

Black Angus Calf - gouache on canvas panel

I changed the background on the calf and think it looks better but am still not sure about it.  I'd like to be able to varnish it today since the weather will be unsettled with rainy patches for the next several days but I'll just wait until I've had time for it to "marinate".

In the meantime, I've let the house go since I've been painting and really need to give it a good cleaning.  I remember back in the early days of television when it was predicted that our homes would be "self-cleaning" by now - ha!  Don't we wish!

That's the dilemma for me - I'm not "ambidextrous" enough to paint AND keep up the house and if you don't keep up with either, you tend to get so far behind that it seems as if you'll never catch up.  We did have a cleaning lady at one time but my husband decided that since I wasn't painting pet portraits any longer, that I would have time to take care of the house myself.  He also said he would help and the money saved could purchase more art supplies.  It turns out that he doesn't like to clean any better than I do, plus, he doesn't have a clue as to how to do it!

His idea of cleaning is to buzz through as quickly as possible and just make it look good.  I like the house to look clean but it has to be clean as well.  He does the same rush job when brushing the dog - she looks really good but there are still mats and tangles under that top layer of fur!  What is it with men?

But I won't complain too much - he's very supportive and as hard as it is to live with him sometimes, I would hate to live without him.

So, I guess I need to go get started cleaning!

Mooooving On To Another Cow

Black Angus Calf

I just hate not being able to do something I want to do and right now, I want to paint a cow.  I know practice makes perfect so I tried again.  This is still not quite finished plus I'm debating the background and whether to change it or not. And I think I want to add the brand of my sister and brother in law's ranch to the ear tag.  Those are the major things plus a few tweaks here and there.

I really like the background as it is as it helps to show the calf plus it echos the colors in the ear tag.  However, I certainly don't want it to appear as if there's a fire behind the calf or become the focal point instead of the calf!

Decisions, decisions!  If any of you think painting is easy, I invite you to just try it!  BTW - this is gouache on a 6" x 6" canvas panel.