Levi

Another lesson learned from this pandemic period is gratitude for what I had taken for granted. Like the weekly visit to a locally preserved farm. No more cow baths for me and back scratches for the herd.

Levi is a sassy bull calf who is learning how to be a grownup. I met him a few weeks prior to the shutdown.

6 x 6 Oil on panel 125. 

Linnie Mae

Just finished reading "A Spool of Blue Thread" by Anne Tyler which I found in one of our Little Free Library a few blocks from my house. Critics accuse Ms Tyler's writing as sweet and sentimental. I wonder what is wrong with that? The point being that one of the characters IS sweet and seemingly without much going on before the reader finally learns that she is clever, determined, and believes in herself. The character's name is Linnie Mae and so is this young heifer.

7 x 5 Oil on board

Ivy

Ivy 8 x 8 Oil on Arches Huile

Thanks to Bren McClain, author of "One Good Mama Bone",   I found  Indraloka Farm Sanctuary near Allentown, PA. Check them out! I hope to be visiting them soon.

Nell Not The Movie

Nell is NOT named after the character in the Jodie Foster movie. The name actually derives from Greek and Latin for "horn" or "sun ray". I prefer sun ray since she is!

5 x 7.5 Pastel on paper

Althea

6 x 6 Oil on Board

This girl was named for a plant with beautiful white flowers aka the Marsh Mallow because it grows in wet soil along marshes.

Portia

5 x 7 Oil on board

Finding a herd of White Park cattle not too far from home was thrilling after many years of searching for these elusive creatures. Now that I have spent some time with them and taken a bunch of reference shots, it's time to work. There is an inherent responsibility to try and come close to a representation of their beauty but also their individual quirks. Therein lies the challenge and perhaps some tears of frustration!