Brande Arno Art

"Post Road Cow" 5 x 5 inches, Oil on Gessoboard $ 60.  Buy on Etsy The photo source is one that I snapped while participating in a plein air painting competition in Geneva,  NY.  Since I discovered them in 2012, the herd and I spend at least three hours together if not all day as I try to create a plein air painting featuring them.  How do I do that?  Well memory and my experience learning that most animals will repeat their poses given enough time.   Having their babies grazing with them makes the attraction all the more harder to resist.  This year, however, they were way too far back in the field for me to paint plein air.  I painted a few barn scenes and then returned only to find them back there every time, so I resorted to taking pictures for future studio work.  

"Honeoye Falls Loner" - Collection of the Artist "Rusty" 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Gessoboard - Sold Rusty is a commission.  I painted his twin back in March of 2013 and named that painting "Honeoye Falls Loner".  I've used Loner for promotional materials and he's not for sale... or to be politically correct, Loner would be labeled: Collection of the Artist".  I think one of the highest complements an artist can receive is when another accomplished artist wants to commission you to create a painting for them and that's how we got "Rusty" On another note, I've discovered "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" on You Tube. I just finished watching one of the more scarier episodes.  I'm a little wired right now, but I think I'll be able to sleep soon.  I'ts about 11:45 pm.  Nite-Nite!

"Snacks and Spots" 5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board Another of my favorite subjects to paint.  The photo reference was completely a side view and for a challenge, I moved her head a bit to the side.  I've observed these ladies enough to give it a try.

"Eyelashes" 5 x 5 inch Oil Painting of a Grazing Dairy Cow Sold - Thank you Anyone who has every looked at the eyes of a cow, know they are beautiful and yes, lots of eyelashes.  My goal with this painting, was to make it painterly, but then to add the unusual element of seeing eyelashes.  She's a one of a kind and she's waiting for a home at my etsy shop. 

Two in the 'Hood, 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Panel $65. Buy on etsy   I painted these two yesterday from a photo of several cows. I was so glad to get back to painting!  Of course everyone, almost everywhere is experiencing some pretty heavy duty winter, so to toast Spring, I took out the artist license and mixed up some delectable Spring greens!  Yum.

"Eleanor" 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Panel Click to Bid Eleanor is one of a herd of beef cows on Post Road in Seneca, NY.  She is a Mommy of a brown and white calf who is adorable.  You'll have to take my word for it or scroll down to the previous painting on this blog to see her baby.  These cows kept me memorized for hours during the recent Billsboro Plein Air Festival.  We were almost on a first name basis!

"The Samplers" 9 x 12 inches, Oil on Panel SOLD - Thank you This is day two of the Billsboro Plein Air Festival and day two of me painting cows.  I found the most beautiful herd of beef cows with their calves.  While painting them, I observed several momma cows nursing their adorable babies. Being set up to paint outdoors today I was able to watch many calves nurse.  When  baby wants to nurse, momma cow stays put.  Baby nurses from one side and then walks around momma to nurse from the other side.  This allows me time to draw the pose.   I  did a pencil sketch of this pose and referred to it while creating this piece.  There was a creek that ran through the field and the mommas and babies would meander in and out of the water.  This painting features a momma sampling tall grass and her baby gobbling...maybe teething on the low growing greens.. . 

Gold Grazer, 5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board  Sold - Thank you This was painted today from photo's I took last fall.  Not that I'm rushing seasons, but it was hot outside today.  Not that I'm complaining, BUT I had to refill the dogie water dish twice. Not that I want to be a cry -baby, BUT I had to water my raspberry patch. Ever go to a place to eat, only to find out they don't take credit cards, not even a local check?  Wiped out my wallet.  "We have an ATM"  Oh, that's nice BUT I don't have a debit card.  I'm so careful with my starving artist's income, that I purposely don't have a pin number on my credit card.  So even though this ATM was all shiny and enticing, It would just reject me.   On the positive side, my granddaughter is gracing me with a visit.  On the negative side, she was with me at the restaurant.   Oh did I mention she is 13?  Wow, how embarrassing can life be.  I'm just glad I'm not her mot...

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board - Collection of the artist Two days ago I went for a road trip to get some pictures for future paintings.  This painting is the result of that trip.  This is a long haired steer who was lounging on top of hay.  Maybe warming up dinner.

"Cow Bossie" Sold 6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board This is from a photo I snapped on the way back from an errand a few days ago.  The cow in this painting was, in real life, standing behind a few bovine ladies that were lounging.  I tried to include one of them when I started this piece, but found I had to scrape that attempt away.     Scraping away hours of work never gets easier and I should have learned by now to scrape sooner instead of later.   I'm going to try my hand at painting a whimsical purple Cheetah for my granddaughter's 13th birthday. 

Browsing Heifer 5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board I had a wonderful gift for about 6 summers in my childhood.  I grew up in the city, but was off to a family member's dairy farm for two weeks each of these summers.  I loved every minute and if I didn't miss my family back home, I probably would never have left. The work was not work to me.  My cousin, Sue sure could cook and made everything  from scratch.   Milk fresh from the cows made butter and whipped cream.  Garden veggies and freshly washed clothes hanging on the clothesline.  No one, including myself can make a pie like she did back then.  Sue also showed me how to make 7 minute frosting.   I LOVED going to grange, because those farm wives really could cook and of course make the best chocolate cakes. These memories are what inspire me to paint cows.  I love their eyes, it does not take much to please them and they do a great job mowin...

Stormy Skies Ahead 8 x 8 inches, Oil on Board, $150. I have very good childhood memories on a dairy farm.  An extended family member married a dairy farmer and I was invited to spend a few weeks over summer vacation on the farm.  I loved it!  It did take about an hour for my nose to get use to the pungent smell of the barn. I didn't know it then, but I was working for my keep.  I helped with milking, bailing hay and barn chores.  I didn't think of it as work, I had a blast.  I knew we were taking care of the cows that had the most beautiful eyes. My cousin Sue, sure could cook.  Everything was made from scratch; pies, cakes with 7 minute frosting, biscuits, cookies and bread.  Notice, I'm listing the sweets that she made.  I helped her in the kitchen and loved every minute of that also.  Sue and George, don't know the impact they had on my life letting me visit for the 5 summers that I did.  They were childless duri...