Hay Days

This painting depicts the farming way of life back when they used a horse drawn hay rake. Some areas still use them. Mostly now it's the modern machines. The areas are vast and the machines are much faster. It doesn't matter which machine is used though because the cattle egrets will come in and congregate on the fields to catch any insect that flicks or flies through the cut and raked grass. Hawks are nearby to capture and field rodents that try to escape the machines. That doesn't bother me at all because mice and rats can make a gal scream. I tried to depict the hot dry weather that hay needs to be cut and baled. Maybe I accomplished that.

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© Ann Hoffpauir

Radiance by Ann Hoffpauir

http://www.ArtworkbyAnn.comI am a fan of all things western. Especially horses. There's a certain spirit about them that beckons to me. To be wild and run free. I wanted to portray this horse in such a way, almost mystical. I left the background diffused, misty. The horse with the flowing mane and tail, radiant, wild and free.

© Ann Hoffpauir

Gotta Stubborn One by Ann Hoffpauir

http://www.ArtworkbyAnn.comThis painting was done from several photos taken at a cattle round up. I have gone to a few of these round ups and there is always a steer or an older cow that just doesn't want to go through the shutes. I suppose they don't like gettings shots either. This steer was giving the cowhands a hard time. I think the only one that liked it was the dog. Cow dogs love their job. He really did a good job of helping to get that steer back. The horses too. Just the pressure of the riders knee against the horses side or a slight tug on the reins and the horse knows what to do. It didn't take long to get this steer back toward the pen to go through the shute.

© AnnHoffpauir

Ann Hoffpauir

This painting was done over the weekend. I had gone to a cattle roundup and took tons of photos. It was late spring/early summer, felt mostly like summer. There were cowboys and cowgirls, yep, cowgirls too. It was time to inoculate them and put an insecticidal oil on them. While the cattle were being given their shots these two bulls are off in the background horsing around or I should say, being bullish. I had gotten some interesting shots of these two bulls. They were completely oblivious to all that was going on with the other cattle. That's probably a good thing. Those two fellas are huge. Just goes to show, boys will be boys, no matter what form of life.

Ann Hoffpauir-painting in progress

Here is my last painting session on this piece. I did more of the detail work on the longhorns, touching up on the body, faces and horns and leaving the undertone to show through on the underside of the belly, legs and faces. The undertone is thinly applied in the beginning process. By leaving some of the undertone showing I think it brings a glow to the painting. The light areas are applied with thicker paint. The "white" on the longhorns is actually a very pale orange and a pale blue. These colors make the animals appear very white in these areas. Longhorns are majestic looking animals to me. These particular longhorns appear very docile and the sun has warmed them enough that they look sleepy. Kinda like people. At least for me. It's like on a cool crisp day and your outside in a lawn chair enjoying the day and the sun warms you...I get so sleepy. I think that's whats happening to these longhorns. The one on the right looks a little perturbed though, something roused him from his potential nap. Now the hard part, naming this painting.

Ann Hoffpauir-painting in progress

My next painting session. Coffee break is over and time to start again. I am defining the cows more and the midground and foreground. I am still leaving some visible undertones showing. I like having those colors peek through the finished painting.

I also added a few white wispy clouds. I think this will be a bright sunny day. Wadda ya think!!!

Ann Hoffpauir-painting in progress

Today I thought I would post the process of a painting. I haven't got a name for this painting yet. That will come later. I find it harder to name a painting than to paint it. There are a couple of gal painters that I follow, Debbie Grayson Lincoln and Vernita Bridges Hoyt. The names for their paintings always seem to fit perfectly...hmmm, maybe they can help name this one when it's finished. On this piece I toned my canvas with an acrylic wash first, then blocked in the cattle, grass and shadow shapes. There are the beginnings of the light areas and some midtones. Already you can see the orangy undertone coming through on the animals and landscape. I will post again as I progress with this painting. Time for a coffee break and to check this out with a fresh eye...