A MOO-ving Experience ... or ... a Short Morning Visit to the Dairy Farm

This is one of the younger calves - just a few days old.

These are a bit older. They are kept in such clean, well-maintained stalls - I was impressed.

Up close and personal - I think this is a shot of the calf licking my camera.

Another close-up. You can see just a bit of her tongue at the center bottom. She was licking my hand. 

This one is a couple of weeks old - getting solid food [grain] and lots of beautiful green hay.

Can you touch the top of your nose with your tongue???

This is another part of the barn, where the adult cows live. This particular cow is a Jersey/Holstein cross. I had no idea, but the Jersey is not the preferred breed of dairy cow - somewhat grumpy and aggressive, compared to the Holstein.

Here are some of the Holstein girls outside.

The gate to the field has been opened, and they are heading off for a day of pasture. You can just catch a bit of the beautiful rolling countryside of Langley.

Tara, on the left, and Mackenzie - they both work part-time at the farm.
A few days ago, a horsey friend of mine [Tara] posted some photos of calves on the farm where she works, and asked if I would like to come and take some photos. OK, that was like waving a red flag at a bull. I could hardly wait!!! So this morning, I was over there by 9:00 AM, camera at the ready. What a wonderful visit! All the animals are so very well cared for, the farm is immaculate, all the workers love the cattle, and the farmer is a sweetheart. I had a great time, and was welcomed to visit again - if I get there around 7:30,  they'll teach me how to milk cows. OH ... HEAVEN!!!
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The Honeymoon with Maggie Is Over

Ol' Kath is BORING ...

I'd rather play with my great new friend - we tussle, we dig holes, we swim, we chase things ....

Kath plays with BIG, scary animals, and they don't like me around too much when they play together.

Kath plays with noisy machines. This is her, after a long weed-whacking session.

But enough of Maggie's perspective,
I discovered the beauty of cropping. I think this iris looks so much better tightly cropped.

And I have slowly been moving along with this painting ...

I added a dark shadow - too dark, so toned it down ...

... and laid in a soft burnt orange wash on the foreground to alleviate some of the starkness of the white. I also masked an outline of the geese, and did some wet-in-wet applications of burnt orange and a dark brown to give the impression of long grass for the background. The next step will be to add some thin glazes of pink, orange and blue on the shadowed areas of the geese.

Started the knight, and I am not sure what to make of it yet. We'll see.

It's been rather hectic with the new dog. I find myself running around  making sure she is not in trouble, that Bruno has not stepped on her, that the two dogs are not chasing Bruno [though I think they all enjoy the romp], that Maggie has not found a hole in the fence through which to disappear [she's done that twice] Seems we are all going through a little period of adjustment!

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More Geese ... and ... Indulging My Passions ...

First, a word from the muse - Maggie loves to snuggle on the bed when I am painting, until she thinks I have done enough, and then demands some TLC.

A return to an old idea - re-drawn, and hopefully better prepared as far as color and composition.

And this is the indulgence. I LOVE armor!!!  When I was very young, the family would occasionally visit one of my father's friends. Their home was like a museum - cases full of fascinating things ... Native Indian artifacts, sabres, muskets, weird stuffed animals, Indian masks and fetishes, even a shrunken head. For a child, it was heaven!!! And one of Dr. Bell's relatives even had a complete suit of armor in his home!!!! ZOWIE! It was love at first sight; I can still see it in my mind's eye. So here I am working on a drawing of a knight and horse in armor. We shall see what I can do with this ...

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Getting Better ...

Maggie and her new best friend, Flossie, enjoying the squeaky toys my landlady bought for them today.

Maggie, posing by the pool.
Maggie is a Mexican rescue that I rescued from being euthanized last weekend. The clinic that brought her here despaired of finding the right home for her. I think mine is it :) 

Bruno, off on the other side of the pond, having a munch - what else???

Don't know if I'll bother doing more here. It's not making me gasp with visual pleasure as it is, and I have others I would rather do.

This is from two years ago or so. I decided to re-work it. 

The purples and violets of the background are not quite like this - more greyed. But overall, I think I made some improvements by lifting some leaves and intensifying the shadows of the petals. Perhaps a bit more lifting yet.

I am starting to feel more like myself - dizziness gone, mood swings less acute and less frequent - emotionally stronger.  I had been seriously out of it for the past 6 weeks, coming off anti-depressants. I have found large doses of vitamin D help, as well as meditating and being more focussed. Finally I think I can approach that Rio painting with more confidence, and start some paintings with more definitive planning and fore-thought. Here's hoping ...

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Leaving the Geese for a While ...

I thought I'd go back to more a more familiar subject.

The colors in the photo are not as intense as in real life. This is after about 10 washes of various colors.

Now I am just slowly and carefully picking my way through the rhododendron petals.  This is quite small, only 8 x 6 inches, so using tiny brushes.

Meet Maggie. I brought her here yesterday, from a veterinary clinic in Burnaby.
When talking with one of my sisters [she of the Boxers] on Friday, somehow the subject of this Mexican rescue dog came into our conversation. Maggie had been brought up here about ten weeks ago by the vet who owns the clinic - she regularly travels down to Mexico to do free clinics and surgeries, and also brings back a few young rescued dogs. Maggie was fostered out when she got here, but it didn't quite work out. The vet knew she would need a special sort of home, and did not think she would find it.  So when Maggie came back from the foster home, they were going to euthanize her this weekend. This is the story I heard from my sister. So, after seeing her photo, and falling in love with those gorgeous golden eyes and huge ears, I went into action. The result is Miss Maggie is right now snuggled on my bed, settling in beautifully. The other two dogs here love her. Even Bruno accepts her, and he is not a big dog fan.

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Here It Is - Warts and All ... A Bit of Planning Would Have Helped

I started darkening ...

... and darkening, but I cannot fix some of the composition flaws, so this is it for the geese. I may paint it again in the future, but only after doing a value sketch, giving more thought to composition, and creating a good color scheme. Live and learn!

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Not Thrilled with the Geese ...

I took 2 photos, one in B/W, to see if I could see what is wrong with this. It looks like the geese need more form shadow, and the pillars as well. I think I must have become lost, doing all the w/w washes of the ground, not really seeing the entire painting. 

For several reasons, I stopped taking an anti-depressant I had been on for over twenty years. The side effects of withdrawal have been most unpleasant - dizziness, fatigue, formication, general feeling of flu symptoms and yuckiness. I've had to watch myself at work, with patients, and with the animals - not to be too grumpy. And of course it affects my painting, and how I perceive it. Anyway, this too shall pass ...

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