Drive By Cattle Drive

Drive-By Cattle Drive___8x10 oil on linen panel___for the "Passing America..." exhibit

My last time to drive through the central plains was in the winter. My son was at the wheel and we saw a mounted cowboy and a couple of calves on the top of a hill. I grabbed my camera and snapped a few good ones with the snowy scene looking so typically western!..so, a few weeks ago I pulled out those pictures to make a new painting for the Western Art Show. As I zoomed in I saw that the figures were only metal cut-outs placed on the hill . You have seen them, They are black silhouettes and look like cowboys or bears or something that grabs your eye!. They sure fooled me! I felt pretty stupid to think I had almost painted them! (If it weren't for the platform stand under each figure, I would have created a sure masterpiece of yard decorations! )

So just now, as my husband was driving us through the Plains, a REAL cattle drive was moving over the sandhills of northwest Nebraska. He was kind enough to stop and let me snap, snap snap. I have great reference for a large work, and this study above, created on the road from memory and other pastures passing by.

I am rethinking the idea of placing trips back to back to back....I am a slow learner, but have learned this one the hard way...In 9 days I will be back FOR GOOD! and not taking any more extended trips for a while.

I am REALLY eager to put my new art and observations on the blogs, and to tell my recent tales of the Plains...But I want it to be in order! So it will be a while...I have some 25 new "drive-by" paintings/sketches, and interesting musings to go with them. I will be working on that in my "spare time" as I am in Arizona at the Phippen Museum Western Art Show for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend. While in Arizona I have decided to extend my trip an extra week. I am even flying my daughter out to drive home with me. Together we will tool around Arizona and spend all our money there with other friends who are joining us!!

When I get back I'll teach a workshop in Fredericksburg, TX. I will bring all the drive-bys to "show and tell" the class, because much of what I am DOING is what I also TEACH about drawing and capturing the impressions FAST and WELL!!! PLEASE join me June 14-16 with an optional extra day on June 17. Click here and scroll down to my class info.