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."

Good Morning Sunshine!

 Good Morning Sunshine!  That is the name I decided to give this one.  Cows just have such expressive and curious faces and I LOVE painting them.

I actually finished this painting a couple weeks ago but between rain and  the busy holidays the time just flew by and we didn't get a chance to use the good camera to get some pictures of it. My cell phone takes photos that are probably adequate for a Facebook post but I really like to wait to show a picture here on my blog until I have a photo that is of a higher resolution.  Good photos on a blog are critical.

I have seen other artists paint a frame around their work and so I thought I would give it a try.  I like how it turned out and gives the cow more of a 3-D appearance.  She looks like she is popping out of the canvas.  I decided not to worry about the fact that the 12 inch width of the canvas really wasn't enough to handle this girls extra furry ears.  So I let them extend over and wrap around the side of the gallery wrap.  I think this adds to the charm of the composition.

Because the canvas is pretty full with the frame and the cow herself I kept the rest of the painting really simple.  No flowers or bugs to be found.  Only blades of really tall summer grass for her dining pleasure.

All in all I'm really pleased with the final outcome.  This piece will be included in my 2017 solo library show that I am once again calling "Down Country Roads". I had such a great time with this show in 2016 in Boulder City that I just don't think I'm finished with that theme yet. I am just having too much fun painting from memories of my Missouri country childhood.

The show starts March 28 and runs through May 30 at the Whitney Library.  I will be posting more specific details as the time comes closer but you might want to keep that in mind if you are going to be in the Las Vegas area this spring.

My goal is to have half the show be new pieces so I had better get busy painting more of these adorable barn yard friends.

I'm planning some fun giveaways and contests leading up to the show and for those that attend the reception.  Send me your email address if you would like to be on my mailing list.  I would LOVE to hear from you!

For more of my artwork be sure and check out my Website !













J

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.

I'm Partial but These are Just Stinking Cute

For the past 6 months I have been painting a number of pieces with the idea they would all be part of a collection that I'm calling "Down Country Roads". The artwork is a combination of large acrylic paintings and pen and ink sketches that have been embellished with color pencil.  All the pieces focus on a country or farming themes.  To see the whole collection please feel free to take a peek at my website gallery.  I would love to hear what you think.

Now I'm new to the whole Zazzle market but as an artist I want to try to tap into any market that will get my artwork out there.  So the other night I was adding a few of my "Down Country Road" images to a puzzle coaster that they offer.  I thought this was about the cutest thing ever and so I thought I had better share it in case someone else decided this was the perfect gift.  

I can just see this as a great gift for friends that enjoy a touch of country.  Also young children would love the puzzle aspect and who can resist cows, pigs and bunnies?

Feel free to look up my Zazzle store and order your very own coaster set.  I would love to hear if you do.

       

                 I see......COWS!

Order a Cow Puzzle Coaster Set

and PIGS!

Pig Puzzle Coaster Set

and BUNNIES!

Bunny Puzzle Coaster Set

BACON...it's What I had for Breakfast

Portly Porker Pals

I was just reading this morning that there are 73,150 pig farms in the United States, (Purdue University) While I can confirm or deny that fact, I do recall spending a little time on my Grandparents pig farm in Woodlake, MN., so I guess I have a little experience with these misunderstood and under appreciated livestock.

I also read this morning that pigs are smart, social and are very clean animals.  WOW!  I know that the smell that filled the air when the breeze was blowing from the direction of the barn could make your eyes water and nearly take your breath away.  I guess that is just the price to be paid for the smell of agriculture.  I can recall driving past the stockyards in Western Kansas as a child and that smell wasn't much better. (Pig Facts)

With that many pig farms, I would be amiss if I didn't draw or paint a picture or two of happy hogs for my Down Country Roads series.  Here is my newest sketch that I just finished this morning and I have to say I think these two turned out pretty cute.  I'm calling this one "Portly Porker Pals".

Both of these pieces are available on both my Website and in my Etsy Store so you can go there and check them out.  I have a number of other farm or country themed artwork pieces that you might also want to see that are part of my Down Country Roads series.

Lunch and a Spa Treatment

I will just end this blog today with a quote from the wise Winston Churchill.  Mr. Churchill once said that, "Dogs look up to man. Cats look down to man. Pigs look us straight in the eye and see an equal.”

In Honor of Mothers of SNOT Nosed Kids Everywhere!

Who Needs a Tissue- 8 x 10 Pen and Ink/Colored Pencil

So I just had to share the little poem I wrote this morning to accompany the sketch I did earlier this year that I call "Who Needs a Tissue".  The subject matter may be a bit on the gross side, but it just fits perfect with my drawing.

I had so much fun writing this little verse that I think I might just start writing something for each of my sketches.  Who knows...maybe this will turn into a book for the grandchildren of sorts.





I know all mothers of small children can so relate to my poem and so I've decided to have a MAY 2016 MOTHER'S DAY GIVEAWAY.  I would love to send you a 4" x 6" art magnet of my "Who Needs a Tissue" along with a signed copy of my new poem.  Here's what I need you to do anytime this week Mother's Day Week between May 7-14th:

1. Go to my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com and find the answer to the following question: What issue of Gold Prospector Magazine featured a 2 page article on my artwork? (I have the answer in a number of places so just open some of the tabs and look around.)
2. Send me an email from my website contact page giving me the answer to my questions and your full name and mailing address. (Sorry United States Only)
3. And finally, leave me a comment or a shout out on this blog entry below just letting me know you were here and if you enjoyed my blog.

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 big 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 them sick

Gardens, Galoshes and Gravy

"Fence Post Rendezvous"

I am FINISHED!!!! And I finished this piece just in time to enter it in the Elks Helldorado Art Show today.  It was close, down to the wire actually, but I made it and am very pleased with the final results.

  I can say that with each painting I do, I learn so much.  This piece contained several difficult elements in the composition.  The children for one and the horse for two. This is the 5th painting in a series of pieces that I have titled "Down Country Roads".  Painting these pieces has provided such therapy to me as I recall little moments in my childhood growing up in the Ozarks of Central Missouri.

It has been my desire, with each piece I paint, to capture your imagination, strike a sweet chord with your own childhood memories or tell an interesting visual story that grabs your attention.

My mother always had a large garden plot that she put out vegetables in each spring and then we would reap the benefits come summer as we would start the harvesting the best tasting produce you can imagine.  The memory of the taste of fresh snapped green beans and tiny new potatoes cooked up with a piece of ham in mom's old cast iron skillet still makes my mouth water today.  I've made that comfort dish numerous times for my family but it has just never been the same.  Mom would tell us kids to go out to the garden and pick green beans, radishes, cucumbers, squash or tomatoes to add to our dinner that most often consisted of a fried meat of some kind, mashed potatoes and gravy.

I can also remember that I always had a pair of rubber boots to wear to protect my shoes from the snow, slush and deep mud.  For the area to be so green there must be lots of rain.  Way more rain that we have here in Las Vegas.  Most of us can barely justify owning an umbrella let alone buying full on rain gear for our children.  We also called those rubber boots "galoshes" and I remember having red ones that matched a red raincoat and hat with little yellow daisies printed on it.  I was quite stylish as I made my way to school in the rain.

In keeping with my other pieces in the series, I added the blue morning glories and tall grass along with several hidden creatures.  See if you can find two tiny baby cotton tail rabbits, a fat toad and a nest of quail eggs.  They are there, I promise.

On a personal note this piece is really special for me because I used my own grandson as model for the toddler reach in the basket to get a second carrot for the interested palomino.

I hope you enjoyed this little labor of my love and I invite you to check out the "Down Country Roads" series on my website and leave me a comment letting me know what you think.

Sweet Rendezvous

WIP-"Fence Post Rendezvous"

The past two weeks my focus has been on my 5th piece in my series "Down Country Roads" which features the series' signature blue morning glories growing at the fence post along with the lush tall grass that grows extra tall there, uncut by the mower.  With this piece,  I decided to add some farm children.  I have such fond memories of growing up in the country where I could run and play without worry.  We lived down a country gravel road, surrounded by farmers and where slowing down to greet the horses and cows with screams of MOO would be a frequent occurrence.  

Nearly every mother on the road tended a rather large garden where the best tasting vegetables could be found.  I remember my mother often asking me to go out to the garden and pick something that would be served with our evening meal.  Maybe green beans, cucumbers, radishes or squash.  There is nothing better than fresh from the garden snapped green beans, new potatoes and ham cooked up in a cast iron skillet topped off with blackberry cobbler for desert using the blackberries that you labored to pick. Speaking from experience, picking blackberries is no easy task.   

This piece that I'm calling "Fence Post Rendezvous" combines some of these elements of my early childhood memories of country life. These two little towheads have been given the early morning chore of picking carrots for dinner but couldn't help but stopping for a few minutes to share a couple of their basket bounty with the neighbor's palomino. With his head full of curly blonde locks, I used my own 3 year old grandson as a model for the little boy at the basket.    

The debut for this piece is going to be the Elks Club Helldorado Art Show and I have just a few more days to get it finished because the call for art is this upcoming Sunday.  Sorry that this is a poor quality cell phone picture of the piece, but since it is still on my easel, I haven't taken the time to get out the good camera to photograph it.   I guess I was just really anxious to show my progress this morning to my blog readers. Rest assured,  I will be providing better images as soon as I finishing painting in the final details.  

I hope you enjoy this WIP (work in progress) blog.  I would love to hear your thoughts, comments or memories about your own "Country Childhood"  To see the rest of the pieces in this series check out my gallery tab or go to my website at http://www.julietownsendstudio.com/-gallery.html

Heading Home

Heading Home- 12 x 24 Original Acrylic

Every year at this time I turn my focus to my entries into the annual Helldorado Art Show and Rodeo that is put on by the Elks Club here in Las Vegas.  It is about the best art show I have participated in and again this year I am looking forward to adding my entries to the assortment of great Western art that I know will be there. It is a great afternoon.

In this piece that I just finished,  I am trying to capture the excitement and strong emotion felt by both horse and rider as home comes into sight.  The curious cow paused from her grazing to stare as they quickly pass by.  

Even before urging from the rider, the horse has picked up his ears and quickened his pace.  His long black mane flows outward as it begins catching the breeze as he trots down that familiar road.  There is cool water, oats and sweet alfalfa waiting inside the doors of the big red barn.  The rider knows that very soon the aroma of his dinner cooking should soon begin filling the afternoon breeze.  It was a good run  and both horse and rider have enjoyed the freedom of their time together, but now it is time to be heading home.  

To see more about this and my other work, check out my gallery on my website at  Julie Townsend Studio Gallery

Drawing a Crowd

I took a few minutes the other day to finish up a sketch I started the previous day of a nose licking calf.  The sketch is on Canson Bristol paper and is primarily done with my Prismacolor Fine Line Marker .005 using a stippling technique that I just love to use .  It is time consuming but I find the repetition very relaxing.  I can quickly get into the "ZONE" with my sketchpad in front of me.  I also lightly tented the drawing later in my studio with a Tombow marker and my Prismacolor pencils and overall very pleased with how it turned out.

I have found, as a busy artist, grandmother and working part-time as an accountant that I must seize the opportunities presented me to be creative.  Because of this, sketching is a perfect solution.  Dragging my rolling art case, easel and canvases everywhere is just not practical. So I have developed the habit of caring a portable drawing kit that I've made up with me everywhere I go. (I think that will be an excellent future blog)   As it is my custom habit on many mornings to be found enjoying my favorite cup of coffee and the free WiFi I can often be found at none other than McDonalds writing this blog or sketching in my sketchbook.

Coffee in hand, It wasn't long before I was into the zone only to become faintly aware of the fact that I could hear voices behind me and I looked up to find a young man, red-haired and freckled face standing there.  He looked to be about 11 or 12 years old.  I could tell with his father's encouragement he came over to me to tell me that he really liked my drawing. I smiled and thanked him.   How sweet is that?

A short time later a small group of African-American ladies had also taken up a position behind me.  The obvious mother of the group shared with me how her daughter likes to paint and the she proceeded to use me as an example of how how her daughter needed to keep practicing her artistic skills.  I thanked them and gave them an invitation to my up coming solo art show next month.

What a positive morning that was.  I can honestly say that "It made my day!"  I love sharing my love of art with young people.  Well honestly if you're even anywhere close to ear shot and still breathing I would enjoy talking to you about art in general and specifically my art.  I guess that is why I love this blog and have spent the 5 years now writing it.

"Who Needs a Tissue"-8 x 10" pen and ink sketch

The original artwork of "Who Needs a Tissue" is available for sale and is matted to an easy to frame 11 x 14 inch size.  Prints and blank greeting cards are available at Julie Townsend Studio or  Julie Townsend's Etsy Shop

Something Has Gone AFOWL in the Studio

I thought you might enjoy seeing my progression on a piece that I am almost finished with.  It's been about a 3 week process because I don't paint very steady.  A little bit here and a few minutes there is my normal studio habit.  I want to work on that this year but I find I get pretty restless and need to get up after only 20-30 minutes of painting.  I've yet to find that "zone" that other artists speak of where they paint for hours on end and late into the night.  

  

Photo 1- Initial Rendering

This is my first rendering that I did in colored pencil.  It is certainly not a fine piece of artwork but here I'm not really looking for detail as much as a feel and mapping out some of the composition.  I knew I wanted it to be about a crowing rooster on a wooden rail fence with an old wagon wheel.  The piece also had to have the signature morning glories that I have painted into the three other pieces in this "Down Country Roads" series. (Photo 1)

Photo 2-Rough Blocking in of the composition

This next photo is now of me blocking in the main elements of the composition.  I had to repaint that fence at some point because I realized I had made the classic mistake of letting it drift upward and I needed it to be straight.  I pulled out the trusty straight edge and got it back on track.  The background took me sometime to work out.  I finally decided on a the distant ruins of a barn and I think that was a good choice here.  Because I'm working with the canvas in a vertical position, I have a lot of depth to fill in the background. (Photo 2)

Photo 3- Adding Focal elements

With this photo you can see I've straighten the fence line and now begun focusing on the wagon wheel.  This proves to be a really challenge because I want it to have the illusion of leaning against the fence and so my perspective isn't straight on.  I'm not a draftsman or architect so getting the wheel to appear correct and balanced is an issue.  I choose to let it go off the page because it really needed to be that large in comparison to the fence post to look realistic.  I still think it may be too small but that is the difficulty I often face when painting a number of random items from reference photos that are not in the same setting.  (Photo 3)

Photo 4- Adding flowers, grasses and foreground hens

Now we are getting into the final elements of the composition.  I have decided the best thing to do to handle my lack of skill at painting circular wheel and spokes is to have an old board also leaning up against the fence with a healthy growth of beautiful morning glories.  All in all I'm pretty sure I made the right decision there.  I have also begun blocking in the two hens in the foreground. (Photo 4)

Photo 5- Rendering of details to add

This is a little rendering I did of what I had in mind of adding to my painting.  I wanted a couple of chicks fighting over a juicy worm for breakfast.  The sketch has also been added to my greeting card designs and I've matted and framed the original.  The resourceful artist and accountant in me will not let a good sketch go to waste lying in a forgotten portfolio but rather try to turn it into a future revenue source. (Photo 5)

Photo 6-Still blocking in the composition and adding depth

In this photo you can see I have blocked in the chicks and added more layers to the hens and depth to the morning glories and foliage.  (Photo 6)

Photo 7- And this is what it looks like today

 So here we are today and I'm entering into the final stages of this painting.  Did I mention that this canvas is 24 x 36"?  That is a rather large piece and so it does take sometime to work your way to the bottom.  Now I'm obligated to focus on all the details that still need to be added to make this piece really pop.  With a little effort I'm hopeful that this piece will be finished by the weekend and soon be available on my website.  I've taken you from "What the heck were you thinking" to "This might just work after all" to finally "I'm Lov'in it" all in 7 photos.  That is the normal progression for me as an artist.  It progresses from Awful-to Awkward-to Amazing!  Well at least we hope for the AMAZING part.

If you enjoyed my little assemblage of progression photos, leave me a comment below and take a minute to check out my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com.   

Fuzzy Chicks and Tasty Worms

I had plans for my weekend to spend much of my time finishing the painting that is taking up all of my easel space but as often happens those plans didn't come to fruition.  Not to say that all was lost on the creative artist front, but it just wasn't as productive of a weekend as I had hoped and with my solo show "Down Country Roads" coming up quickly on April 1st I'm getting a bit of an overwhelming feeling.  So much painting and so little time.  What's an artist to do?

My pencil and ink sketch called "The Early Birds"

This little sketch I started yesterday while enjoying my usual morning McDonald's coffee time with my husband.  Today, I decided to add some color and used my new set of Prismacolor pencils.  I have found that drawing is an excellent exercise to prepare me before I pick up my paint brushes.  These little chicks are going to be added to the composition in my painting "Something to Crow About" that I am currently working on.  

The sketch actually turned out cute enough that I'm going to matte and frame it and also add it to the show. I also decided that the sketch of my little early birds made a cute addition to my greeting card designs.  I started playing around with my new printer this weekend and have come up with 4 designs so far that I think work well printed on greeting cards.  As you can see both the chicks and the crowing rooster are featured both on canvas and on the front of a card.  

If you are interested, cards will soon be available on the Country Store tab of my website at JulieTownsendStudio.com.  

Work in Progress

"Down Country Roads" greeting card line

Faces and Feathers

At the beginning of April I started an oil painting that I found to be very fun to paint.  Using a reference photo that contained 7 or so roosters full of attitude, perched on a stone wall and the flavor of a favorite Robert Duncan piece I came up with my own creation of the scene.  I even used a palette knife to lay in the stonewall and that is a first for me.  I had to put it aside as I worked on a large commission piece and so this week I was finally able to get back to give these guys some faces and feathers.

I'm trying to remember to use brighter colors and I think that the mountains came out looking pretty good.  Even though they are close I laid the colors loosely and didn't try to focus not as much on detail as impression.  This is a technique I'm going to use again for sure.

I think a nice barn wood frame is in order and as soon as it drys a coat of varnish will finish it up.

If you are interested in purchasing any giclee prints of this particular piece visit my Fine Art America site at:Julie Townsend- Feisty Fowls

The Neighborhood Watch Committee

I finished this piece in early August and really like how it turned out. Brad and I enjoyed almost a week of vacation this summer in Central Utah, in the small town of Marysvale. During one of Brad's walks, around the area, he came across this house that had a very effective alarm system...You guessed it-three very noisy geese.

We owned a duck once and that one very ornery fowl would fly into frenzy whenever little screaming girls would enter the backyard. He would flap his wings, attack their toes and chase them right back into the house. Our teenage sons would have to act as protectors and carry the little girls out to the safety of the trampoline.

The thought of facing three larger, noisier and more aggressive birds doesn't really appeal to me. No matter how feisty they were, the picture was adorable and I knew the minute I saw it on our camera that I was going to have to try and paint it.

If you're interested in buying this piece you can buy it now through the Paypal button below or you can contact me at Julie@JTownsendStudios.com. I would love to hear from you.

"Neighborhood Watch Committee"- Acrylic 16 x 20 gallery wrapped
$250 + Shipping