All Good Things Must Come to an End

Yesterday my small studio space just got a lot more crowded.  All the pieces from my solo show at the Whitney Library had to come home and now they are stacked up like cordwood.  My exhibition time was over and all that was left to do was to bring them all home.  29 pieces in variety of sizes, some framed and some not.

So much time, effort and hard work goes into putting on a solo show and I'm not counting the many hours of painting or drawing.  Pretty much a solid year of effort went into my "Down Country Roads" collection.  It may be exhausting, but it is so rewarding to see all your work hung in a gallery on display.  Today there is a variety of mixed emotions.  I'm happy to have all my work back because the past two months there has been a strain keeping up enough new inventory to have pieces of high caliber to display at the other galleries that I show at regularly.  

This morning I am sitting here drinking my coffee and reflecting on the show.  I am also reading through the guest book comments that were recorded by the public during the two month of the show.  There were 10 pages of signatures and most were just a word or two.  There were lots of comments about color and detail.  A number of comments about my poetry and my sense of humor.  Several mentioned that the show reminded them of home or their childhood and some said I made them smile.  My artist heart is so touched by so many kind words. I thought I would share just a few of the quotes with you.

Channel- "Beautiful! Brilliant colors, put a smile on my face!"

Mary Ann- "I love your artwork; it brings happy memories of my childhood to me, thanks.?

Channel- "I had to bring my husband to see your amazing work!"

Unknown- "You brought so many memories back to my farm boy Vermont past!  Loved your talent!"

L.N.S.- "Very astonishing artwork! Mesmerized"

Unknown- "I love this work also I could feel the fishing hole, birds bugs and breeze.  Wonderful!"

Unknown- "Brilliant Poetry and lovely work."

Sydnee- "Ive never seen such beautiful art😀 Especially love the bunnies!"

Unknown-"Beautiful work & a great sense of humor!"

Martha- "Love your sense of humor.  So ably expressed in both words and art."

Traveling Down Country Roads

I lived the best years of my childhood on a dusty dirt road surrounded by trees, flowers, wildlife and farming.  I love old farm houses, gardens, livestock, barns, porch swings, old mail boxes, barbed wire fences and fence posts covered in morning glories and banks of wild flowers dotting every dirt road and 2 lane highway across this amazing country and they are my inspiration as I approach my senior years. 

When the world feels like crazy is becoming the normal,  I have to only return to my roots to find that this country is still full of good folk that appreciate the freedom to work hard and get their hands dirty, to raise their families and take care of their neighbors. This series of paintings is my tribute to that way of life and looking at them.  My goal with this series is frankly to, if only for a moment, take you back to your childhood and make you smile.

My artist motto, "Telling Stories with My Paintbrush" has never been more relevant in my life.  So I'm stuck on painting farm animals and standing along barbed wire fence posts   Cows are such curious creatures and will often watch you as drive by, especially if all your children are hanging out of the windows yelling, "MOO."  

I just can't help myself and found that I have a strong compulsion to paint these giant creatures with their sweet curious faces and large eyes.  Maybe they are just chewing their cud or engaging in the disgusting habit of licking their nose with their over sized tongues.  No matter what they are doing, cows make great subjects for my stories. Pair that with the consistent theme of blue morning glories and tall green grass you have all the elements of a great composition.  

I have painted 6 large feature works and several smaller pieces for this theme and hopefully all of them tell a story of life "Down Country Roads".  

I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane.  All of these images are available in prints at Fine Art America or as 4 x 6 art magnets on my Etsy Store- Country Magnets or Etsy Store- Cow Magnets

I Want to be a MOOver

I have been giving a great deal of consideration to what steps I need to take to MOOve or propel my artistic goals forward. 2016 is rapidly approaching it's end and am I really further along than I was on January 1.  I know I was determined to take strides to make this year the year of my art.  So besides creating art, I've been considering some of my accomplishments this year.

In April I sold almost $800 worth of art during my solo show "Down Country Roads".  One piece broke my personal sale record for a single piece of art.  So I guess I can state that this show was pretty successful and has pushed my art down a path towards a style that is uniquely my own.  I've heard the word "Whimsical" used a number of times when describing my little country scenes. Also I have heard the reaction that my art makes them smile or reminds them of their childhood.  This is such a compliment to me because it is this exact emotion that I am trying to achieve.  I find myself smiling at my own work often.  You can stop worrying at this point because while I may smile to myself, I don't talk the animals in my paintings!

2016 has seen me adding some poetry to my creative collection.  Again my humor always takes over when I'm trying to be creative and my poetry is far from a serious collection.  One of my favorite pieces I wrote this year is called, "Go Grab a Tissue Please" and corresponds with several of my paintings and sketches that demonstrate the nasty habit that cows often participate in of licking their own nose with their super long tongues.

Go Grab a Tissue PLEASE

By 

Julie Townsend

Picking or licking your nose is a bad habit I say

I promise you will regret that you did it some day

When all the other calves are playing, jumping and having fun

You will be too embarrassed to join them to rumpus and run

So when the hay fever strikes and won't slow

And the snot runs free like a steady river flow

When that fountain is turned on and you have the urge to sniff and snort

And even though God has given you a tongue that is far from short

Please! Oh please! Go grab a hanky or better yet, a wad of tissue

To handle the problems of your snot and dripping green issue 

Blowing your nose is so much better than using a tongue to lick

Be considerate of those around you for you will surely make us all sick

You can read more of my poetry on my website at Julie Townsend Studio-Poems

One of the biggest goals that I wanted to see 2016 MOOving me towards was that of licensing my artwork.  I know that I need to create a portfolio of consistent work that reflects images that are in demand and marketable for merchandise.  I established both an Etsy store and uploaded images to an my newly created account on Redbubble.com and on Zazzle.com.  A couple of tiny sales so far but as always things must start slow and build.  

Last week I received a message on Facebook from a woman that was not my friend nor a mutual friend connection.  She asked if I illustrated books and then when on to talk about a story of a little calf that wanted to be a PBR rodeo bull.  My heart jumped.  My dad was bull rider in his younger days on the professional rodeo circuit and so this was such a perfect story line for me.  Let's not mention that fact that this year I have painted or drawn cows more than any other subject.  To my disappointment, her deadline was not something I could see myself accomplishing as she shared she needed 30 images in just 30 days.  I've not illustrated books before but that timeline seems a little unrealistic to even me as a illustrating greenhorn.

BUT...I'm always the optimist and so I asked her how she heard of me.  She shared that she just did a Facebook search of western art and really liked my work.  So rather than being disappointed about not getting the job, I choose to take the whole transaction as a compliment and confirmation that my art is headed in the right direction.  It will be only a matter of time before I begin to receive offers for commission and illustration work.  I'm confident of that fact and resolved to keep on practicing.

So since this blog seems to deal primarily with my bovine creativeness, I thought I might just aMOOse you with more of my cow artwork.


These are two of my "Cow Licking" pieces that I had great fun creating.  All my works is available prints, art cards and art magnets.  In some cases the original artwork maybe available.  Just message me if you are interested.

Always Greener

Fence Post Curiosity

Morning Roughage

This is a colored pencil sketch I did just this week of a sweet Jersey cow enjoying some pasture grass.

Resting Before the Rodeo

This is another sketch I did this year of a beautiful Brahman Bull.  What impressive creatures these animals are.







I just through this mouse and pumpkin sketch in because it is almost October 1st and I think it is cute.

Harvest Mouse

The Grass is Greener Because Cows Poo is Good Fertilizer

"Always Greener"

I love this adorable little jersey calf checking out the grass growing on the other side of the fence because we all know it is GREENER there. I love how cows can lick their noses with those giant pink tongues.  I find their faces to be so expressive and yet at the same time be completely clueless.  This adds to their appeal and charm and makes painting them so much fun.  I hope I managed to capture that cow essence here.

This original artwork, which is painted on a 16 x 20 inch gallery wrapped canvas in acrylic paints is bright, colorful and is sure to make you smile each time you look at it.  If you or someone you know is into country, farm or western art this is the piece for you!  If you are interested in purchasing this piece or perhaps ordering a set a greeting cards or a beautiful art magnet you can visit my website gallery at Julie Townsend Studio.  Let me know if you like what you see.

The Farmers Alarm Clock

Something to Crow About- 24 x 36 Acrylic

I remember my son Jason's 2nd grade class hatched chicken eggs in their classroom via an incubator.  That was a very special experience and if the parents agreed, then your student could bring home a baby chick.  I never had chickens as a child so I had to quickly education myself on what was expected of me as the new owner of a tiny chick.

We bought the scratch food and made a little enclosure.  We were so happy to watch our tiny feathered pet begin to grow.  That bliss lasted a couple months until one early morning I was laying in bed and heard a completely foreign sound coming from my back yard.  It sounded something like a very sorry example of crowing and it hit me that this wasn't the egg laying hen I hoped for but rather my chick was soon going to become a huge neighborhood annoyance.  Since we weren't really zoned for livestock, there was only one thing I could do.  We packed up the adolescent bird and drove to the local feed store.  We traded him for a nice looking hen to the relief of all my neighbor's.

With my recent focus on painting country scenes for the series that I call "Down Country Roads" I would be amiss if I hadn't turned my artistic skills to the staple of all farmers and homesteaders for hundreds of years.....The Chicken.  

I've finished a couple of pieces in the past few months that featured this feathered farm fowl and I had a great time painting and drawing them.  Last week I decided to write a poem that I'm calling "The Farmers Alarm Clock" and I thought it would be a good time to share it with my blog readers.  

I've actually been writing a number of poems this past month.  I think I've reached 8 or 9 in my folder I carry around.  I'm seriously thinking about turning it all into a book in the next year.  I even was thinking of titling the book..."Grandmas Too Silly by 1/2", but that is a bit premature I think since I have such a learning curve facing me.  Either way, I am really enjoying coming up with funny little verses to accompany many of my drawings.  After all my artist statement makes it pretty clear:  I'm an artist who loves Jesus-Trying to tell the story of His creation with some paint and canvas.  "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  Colossians 3:23"

A Farmers Alarm Clock

By

Julie Townsend

Don’t cover up your sleepy head

It’s time to throw off your covers and get out of that bed

I guess I’m going to have to crow extra loud

All your animals are forming a crowd

Waiting for you to serve them their morning meal

I know you can hear those pigs starting to squeal

It’s time to open up your eyeballs

Milk those cows and clean those stalls

Everyone is waiting so don’t you delay

No matter that it’s cold and you’re cozy where you lay

You have to feed the world you know

So grab your rake and pick up your hoe

Plow that field and bale that hay

The sun is coming up and you’ve got to start your day

This has been our routine down through the years

Don’t tell me you’re using that pillow to cover your ears!

For I’m the farmers best alarm clock

And it’s time for you to pull your work boot over that sock

Give a goodbye kiss to your wife

It’s tough I know but this is your life

Grab some coffee and run out that door

But first you have to put your feet on the floor.

If you liked that little rhyme then you might want to see more of my fine literary works you can check out my Sketchbook Gallery on my website because I have added a number of poems there.  While you are there, feel free take a few minutes to look at all my work.  I won't mind a bit if you snoop around.

Have a blessed day!

Blogging about Beautiful Bovines

Fence Post Curiosity

Well my "Down Country Roads" show has been hung at the gallery and it looks GREAT!  The Boulder City Art Gallery is such a beautiful gallery to begin with and Regina Marvin, the gallery director helped me so much with getting my artwork up and ready for display.  

Now I am so excited for the reception next Sunday, April 10th.  I will be making my much requested cheese ball and their will be an assortment of lovely snacks provided by other gallery artists in attendance.

I've worked really hard to make lots of art greeting cards and art magnets available so that there will be plenty of fun smaller items available for purchase. Let's not forget all those cowbells I painted up special for this show.  

I was thrilled when I sold 7 art cards before I even had all the art work hung up on Friday.  I just received a call on Sunday that my featured piece, "Fence Post Curiosity" has already been sold on day 2 of the artwork on display. I am beyond thrilled!  

With all that done, I'm turning my attention now to painting my entries into the Helldorado Rodeo Art Show that is at the end of this month.  I have committed to having 3 pieces finished to enter and I'm going to give it my best try to have another large 24 x 36 inch piece ready.  This time my idea is of a horse being fed at the fence line a carrot by a child.  That will be a challenge for sure.  I'm sure as I begin the painting process I will share my progress here so checking back in the next few weeks.

Heading Home

The first piece that I have completed is a 12 x 24 acrylic painting that I am calling "Heading Home".  This piece was inspired by a photo taken by a high school classmate that obviously loves riding horses. They appear to take vacations with them and the reference photo I used for this piece is just such a time.  A photo between the ears is such a great perspective that I couldn't resist trying to capture that experience.  In my mind I could feel the emotion of both the rider and his beloved horse as they come into sight of home.  To add interest to the composition I had to add a curious Holstein looking up from her grazing in the tall pasture grass as they pass by.  

Who Needs a Tissue

Often as I am working on a piece I will using sketching as a way to practice and work out specific areas of my composition.  This adorable pen and ink sketch called "Who needs a Tissue" is a perfect example.  In my piece, "Fence Post Curiosity" I wanted the Jersey cow to be licking her nose.  Kind of a disgusting practice but one that cows do often.  Here I have tried to make this yucky nose licking activity cute and adorable.  Sometimes these drawings actually work out to become artwork of their own and get matted and framed.  The original of this particular piece is still available along with prints, art greeting cards and art magnets.  Check them out on my Country Store on my website .

I can say it has been a season of bovines in my studio.  Besides these last two paintings outlined above I decided to add a piece using pen and ink and colored pencil into the Helldorado Art Show. This is a medium that doesn't seem to be utilized by most artists.  The oil and acrylic entries are numerous but a sketches are few in number.  This 8 x 10 matted to 11 x 14 piece is called "Resting Before the Rodeo" and features a powerful Brahma bull taking a rest in the hours before the nights events.  

I grew up loving the rodeo.  Mainly because my father had been a professional bull and bare back rider in his MUCH younger days.  He loved watching the rodeo and we would travel every summer to Coffeyville, Kansas to attend the rodeo and visit with my Uncle Richard.  I was so proud because my Uncle Richard Diveley had a great singing voice and was always given the task each year of singing the National Anthem at the opening night of the Rodeo.  Such great childhood memories that are connected to the rodeo.  The rodeo is such a thrilling sport and like most spectators, I loved the bull riding event the most and because it brings the greatest level of excitement.  Those beautiful creatures and pure power, muscle and meanness.  

I loved sitting right next to the fence in hopes that the angry charging bull would run past me with inches and a small wire fence separating me from imminent danger.  Sometimes, if I was lucky they would fling the arena dirt all over me as they thundered past and I couldn't help but scream a little.  The rescue riders and the brave rodeo clowns making every effort to draw the bull away from the cowboy and to the exit gate.  Some bulls would comply quickly but others would make them work for it.  Making several passes around the arena to the delight and cheers of the crowd.  

I hope you enjoyed seeing my bovine line-up as much as I've enjoyed creating them.  Please check out my website to see more of my work.

Resting Before the Rodeo

YOU GOT TO LOVE A BLUE RIBBON

This is me and my EXCITED face!  I was thrilled to find that my piece called "Edge of the Herd" took first place in the acrylic category at the Helldorado Art Show this past weekend.  This is a really nice western themed show that I have participated in for the past several years.  I just didn't think this small piece would receive any type of singling out or I would have done something with my hair!   

"Edge of the Herd" 1st place winner in the Acrylic category

To even add to my surprise, my entry called "Stories Around the Fire" also took second place.  I'm just tickled pink here.

"Stories Around the Fire" awarded 2nd place in the Acrylic category

STUDIO NEWS- MARCH 2015

If you like my work I would love to hear from you.  Also please check out my online gallery at my website at Julie Townsend Studio

My "Nevada in Shades of Silver and Gold" was hung yesterday, March 1st at the Laughlin, Nevada library gallery.  The artwork will be hung until April 25th so I'm hoping to drive the 100 + miles to go check it out.  Let me know if you happen to be in Laughlin and decide to check it out.  I would love to see pictures!

It has been a busy a week in the studio and I am pretty excited how some of my pieces have turned out.  I keep selling cowbells, which make me happy and a 4th retail location has added them to their inventory.  YEAH!!!

There is a very nice art show event that is coming up here in Las Vegas and entries must be finished in May so I've turned my brushes and pens to more of a western flare.  The Annual Elks Club Helldorado Parade and Rodeo has a fantastic art show and I want to have 3-4 entries ready to go so that has been my focus this past week.

New Western Piece-Not Titled Yet

I'm still working on a name for this 12x12 acrylic piece but "Six Shooter" probably will part of the name.   I have made some slight additions to the final piece that are not reflected here.  I have added a small explosion at the end of each barrell so the rider isn't just showing the guns but is actually firing the pistols.  I'm pretty excited about how this has turned out.

Ink Sketch of my Dad

This is a pen and ink sketch I did of my dad as a young rodeo cowboy.  The reference photo is one of 3 newspaper clippings we have that show him in action.  I have painted this photo last year but this year I wanted to enter a sketch in the show.

Touching up older pieces this week

These are two pieces I painted at the end of 2014 but wasn't completely happy with how they turned out.  Sometimes it takes a while to actually finish a piece because there are changes that are decided on down the road. This week I have pulled both of them out of the closet and started repainting them.   The beach scene was flat and lacked a story.  Adding an old fence, a sandy path and a sign that reads "Beach" gives me want to check it out.  

The snow scene was first painted with a deer in the foreground but it never seemed like a good fit to me.  I decided to paint that out and put a heavy snow ladden pine tree in the front andI think the composition is much better.  I added more blue to the snow and just added a sparkles of white to give that glisten you see when the sun shines on it.  

NEW COWBELLS PAINTED THIS WEEK:

Kokopelli cowbell-SOLD

Lighthouse cowbell-SOLD

Sunflower cowbell- SOON TO BE SOLD

Helldorado- Call For Art and a History Lesson Too!

 Every year the Elks Club sponsors a rodeo and fair here in Las Vegas and along with those two events is a western themed art show and auction that has become a showcase for some really nice artwork.  This will be my 2nd year of entering and I am excited to get together with my fellow artists and enjoy the artwork.  Maybe I will even sell something!  I've included a link to the festivities if you’re interested and in the area. Helldorado 2014

This event has a long and interesting history including ties to an old local outlaw Indian named Queho. One thing I know...I love learning about Nevada history ALMOST as much as I like painting it. I encourage you to take a minute to read about this bit of Southern Nevada History.  

On a personal side note....I have on a number of occasions visited the area that was once called Cathedral Canyon located on the "Hidden Valley Ranch" off the Tecopa Highway.  This is the final resting place of the infamous Queho.  I even had the pleasure of sitting at the ranch one afternoon and having a short visit with the elderly Mr. Roland Wiley.  Cathedral Canyon was his personal project and it was amazing place to see.  He had converted a ravine on his property into a place where you could sit, meditate and think about things.  It was complete with running water and 2 working restrooms.  There was even a suspension bridge hung overhead that spanned the canyon and it is near that bridge that the marker for Queho's grave can be found.  Sadly, when Mr. Wiley passed away the desert quickly reclaimed the canyon and vandals have done their share to speed up that process.  Queho-Renegade Indian

The artwork is due April 23^rd, so I've been working on these two pieces for the past few months.  I apologize that I am breaking a very important blogging rule by posting less than perfect photos of my artwork but in reality I am more interested in just taking a minute to talk about each of these pieces and their obvious western flare.

"Best Friends"- 16x20 Oil

This first piece I’m calling “Best Friends” and my inspiration for this came from an old public domain photo of a little girl from the Navajo Nation taken in the early 1900’s.  Her smile just grabbed me nearly as tightly as she has grabbed on to her puppy.  This piece is painted in oil and is on a 16x20 canvas.

"Riding the Buckskin"- 18x24 Oil

The second piece is very personal as I painted it from an old photo of my dad, Gerry Diveley as a young rodeo cowboy.  Usually he would ride bulls and I even have a photo of him riding a buffalo but here he is riding in a bare back bronco category.  I don’t know if he made it the whole 8 seconds but I loved the action I’ve attempted to capture here and painting it was therapy for my soul.  Miss you Dad!  I’m leaning towards calling this piece “Riding the Buckskin” but like naming your children, sometimes you have to really think about the best name that fits the piece.

Where are all the Miners?

I had the occasion recently to read the Editor's Note section of the Nov/Dec 2010 edition of "Gold Prospectors".  Now this magazine is my husbands choice of reading material and not necessarily mine, but I was drawn to this article written by Tom Massie, Editor-in-Chief of "Gold Prospectors", because he was discussing his observations as he wondered through the shops of historic, Prescott, Arizona.  Mr. Massie stated, "Now I've nothing against cowboys or western art, but as I travel through some to the shops I noticed that the swank trendy places offered western scenes of cattle roping and cowboys in painting, pictures and sculptures.  There were plenty of cowboy hats, cowboy boots, western blankets and indian apparel and art.  There just seemed to me to be a lack of anything relating to the prospectors and the miners in today's modern shops."

I couldn't agree more with his conclusion.  Being a long time resident of the wonderful state of Nevada, I am very mindful at just how important mining was to our past and present economic growth.  Nevada became a state in the west, long before any other of it's neighbors joined the union and that was directly the result of President Abraham Lincoln desiring the mining wealth of Nevada to aid in the Civil War efforts. 

I agree with Mr. Massie and while I  love a good cowboy painting, much of the inspiration for my work is received from those strong and sturdy miners that have left their presence know all across the state in the form of ghost towns, abandoned mining shafts and stories of a place that was often wild and lawless.  I decided that I would share just a couple of my pieces, including my newest painting called "Dreams in Shades of Gold",  that have Nevada mining as a theme.  I sent Mr. Massie an email inviting him to check out my website and this blog.  I wonder if he will send me a reply.