Thursday, April 14, 2011

Tennessee beauty


I feel so fortunate to have had relatives who lived on farms. I would hope for everyone that you would have some of this wonderful exposure. My grandfather raised chickens, cows and farmed crops on his land. I loved going to stay with my grandparents and can still remember the way my grandfather smelled. A bit like tractor oil and the soil. A good smell.My in laws live on a beautiful farm in eastern Tennessee with rolling hills and the Smokey mountains in the distance. My father in law died a little over a year ago and we have been very focused on helping my mother in law sell the farm. We finally got it sold and are now relieved but sad. My family has wonderful memories of "Clearview Acres". The cow in the painting grazed in the field across from their home. A nice, young family with lots of kids bought the farm and are looking forward to making it their home. I painted this on a 12 x 24" canvas using transparent red oxide, transparent earth oxide, transparent brown and titanium white.

12 comments:

  1. Love it! Love the palette you chose too.

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  2. Beautifully executed. Love the lighting and mood. So good that you got to spend time with your grandparents' on their farm. Sorry to hear of the loss of your grandfather.

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  3. Carol, another great cow portrait . . . yours just get better and better. You should consider doing a book of your cows. I think it would be a hit!

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  4. Carol,
    I really like the colors on this one. The uniformity of rich transparent colors with the pop of opaque white is wonderful. He is a beauty. Did he feel small after the enormous fellow cow? Keep em coming!

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  5. Love this one and what a good idea to use a limited palette.

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  6. Great painting, colors, and story. I hope the new family will have lots of animals too!

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  7. My in-laws are also on a farm. I love going out there, except for the fact that I seem to be allergic to EVERYTHING. Last time I was there, the neighboring horses stuck their head over the fence, so I gave them a little petting, and wound up in bed sick for three days with the worst hayfever I've ever had. But the rolling hills and animals are just awesome.

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  8. I love this one Carol, and your touching family story. Your farm animals always make me want to go for a drive in the country!

    Cheers, Cathy

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  9. Superbement réalisé!
    bonne journée
    cath.

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  10. Nice! I really like this one. I like the limited pallet.

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  11. So loved your memories and the bittersweet story of your mother-in-law having to sell her farm. There is something so peaceful, calm, and placid about cows. This beauty personifies all of that. Imagine sitting out on the porch of your farmhouse with your first cup of coffee of the day and watching this lovely cow graze...

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