A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 10

What else do you do besides painting?

I am a passionate writer and love to write, though unpublished as of yet! I love martial arts and Karate. I used to run my own school with my wife! I love playing my classical guitar, even though I only perform for my family! I love to Garden and grow things from seeds! I love taking care of my five doggies! I enjoy fish and coral and I maintain a 155 gallon reef tank in my living room! And I enjoy people, that's why I love doing the art shows!

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 9

What advice do you have for aspiring painters?

Be passionate with your art and with your life. Love both with all your heart. Have lots of experiences and adventures. Please yourself, paint for yourself...and have a back up job for money

Mixed Media Art Now A Part Of Cow Art And More

In an effort to meet customers' needs and requests, Cow Art and More now has added one-of-a-kind mixed media agricultural art available for purchase. This collage art is created by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, a Florida artist and communications design specialist. Elizabeth's unique style stems from her ability to combine materials of different colors, textures, and designs into a larger, truly incredible piece of art. Her art is able to enthrall an audience, whether it is viewed from far away or close up. Elizabeth's pieces will be featured in the new products section for the next month.

Picture credit: "How Now, Brown Cow", 20 inches by 24 inches, mixed media collage

Click here to see more information about this collage cow art, including a detail shot of the piece.

Monday's agriculture website of interest: TINY FARM BLOG

Monday's agricultural website of interest is going organic today. I recently came across the Tiny Farm gardening blog and was immediately intrigued with the pictures and intense detail of operations. The blog details an organic produce farm that started outside of Ontario, Canada, in 2002. Since then farm has expanded, moved, and employs a crew of people. I also like the extensive search option to find information on most any topic involving organic gardening.

Robin Pedrero's "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky" explained, part 2

For those that enjoyed part one of "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky" explained, you will love part two.

The first part of the post of Robin Maria Pedrero's video can be found here.

Click here to read more about Robin's pastel cow drawing.

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: WORLD WIDE ARTS RESOURCES

(For any new followers to this blog, I try to post a website of interest to art collectors, enthusiasts and artists every Friday.)

Today's website of interest is the art history section of World Wide Arts Resources. This site is a good reference for information about a particular period or artist. The artists are listed by style, time period, and nationality. Search options are also available.

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 8

What what you like to do more of in the future?

Besides writing Novels and making movies, I just want to keep painting. I plan to die some day when I am very very old with a very used up triple zero Windsor Newton in my hand. I wouldn't want to waste a perfectly good brush.

Picture credit: "Thirsty Cow ver. 2", acrylic painting

Go to Cow Art and More to see more about this cattle painting

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 7

Do you ever have goof ups or work you don't like?

No

Picture credit: "Just Cow" acrylic painting

Go to Cow Art and More to learn more about this cow painting

Monday's agriculture website of interest

Today's agricultural website of interest is Beef Magazine. The magazine is published monthly for cow/calf operators, stocker-growers, cattle feeders, veterinarians, nutritionists and allied industries. In addition, Beef magazine publishes issues and editorial supplements for specialized areas of the the industry.

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 6

How long does it take you do get an average painting?

As an illustrator for years I had horrific deadlines. Night after night I would burn my candles at both ends to get my work in on time. After twenty years I had only been late once. Now that I am not concerned with other peoples deadlines my paintings take much longer. Anywhere from two and three months to a year max. A year is way too long...sigh.

Picture credit: "Dining Cow", acrylic painting

Click here to go Cow Art and More to see more information about this painting

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: ART FAST NEWS

Today's website of note for art enthusiasts is Art Fast News. Based in London, this website covers contemporary art news, street art, video and design. In addition, they cover art openings and fairs from around the world and have extensive interviews with artists themselves. They also cover the major art news from London, Berlin, Paris, New York and the Asian market.

Rosette charm in 18 karat gold

I had the pleasure of filling a special order recently of one of my rosette ribbon charms in 18 karat yellow gold. I usually only get to do gold orders around the holidays, but this particular customer was treating herself!

Gold charms require an additional 2 to 3 weeks for delivery, while sterling silver charms are always in stock.

Click here to see more information about the rosette charm

Click here to see the complete line of cow jewelry

Robin Pedrero's "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky" explained

Cow Art and More artist Robin Pedrero has produced a short video about her work, "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky". This art work, featuring a Holstein cow, is profiled in the video, along with her dog Max. Her video, entitled "Super Cow", can be seen on You Tube.

Picture credit: "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky, pastel on paper

Click here to go to Cow Art and More to read more, including an artist commentary, on this image.

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 5

How do you decide what to paint?

I constantly have millions of cool ideas popping in and out of my brain/mind; Some not so cool. It is difficult to decide which ones to run with. I know I will be spending many nights and hundreds of hours with the painting, so I just make sure before we get started that we will be good friends for the duration and enjoy each others company.

Picture credit: "Lounging Cow", acrylic on art board

Click here to go to Cow Art and More to read more about this painting

Monday's agriculture website of interest: INTERNATIONAL DAIRY FOODS ASSOCIATION

Monday's agriculture website of interest is from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). The IDFA represents the nation's dairy manufacturing and marketing industries and their suppliers, with a membership of 530 companies representing a $110-billion a year industry. Within IDFA, there are three constituent organizations: Milk Industry Foundation, National Cheese Institute, and the International Ice Cream Association. IDFA's 220 dairy processing members run more than 600 plant operations, and range from large multi-national organizations to single-plant companies. Together they represent more than 85% of the milk, cultured products, cheese and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 4

Where did you get your inspiration?

I originally got my inspiration when I was about ten years old after I opened a pack of gum with illustrated 'Wacky Stickers'. The gum was hard and inedible, but I bought pack after pack! I was immediately consumed and addicted to the colorful crazy 'sick' art.

Picture credit: "Playful Pigs", acrylic painting

Click here to go to Cow Art and More to learn more about this image

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: THE MUSEUM OF BAD ART

Friday's art website of interest is a tongue-in-cheek look at bad art. While I hesitate to call anyone's art bad, the art on this website made me rethink that idea. It certainly is worth a good chuckle to visit The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA). The group started in 1993 with its first hanging exhibition in a basement in a Boston, Massachusetts, home. It has since expanded to Dedham Community Theater, also in Boston, where it has permanent exhibition space.

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 3

What is your technique?

So many people are looking for short-cuts these days to make it look good without all the hard work. My technique is slow and laborious. I developed my techniques on my own over a long period of time. While I have a bachelor of fine arts from the Philadelphia College of Art, and had many amazing teachers, no one actually taught me to paint the way I do. My friend in college did turn me on to the best brushes in the world, which I still use today, particularly the 'triple zero' Windsor NewtonI series '7'. It is the ultimate brush for control! I use acrylic paint and layer my work utilizing dry brushing, feathering, glazing, and sometimes a touch of airbrush, if it is called for. By the time a work is completed there are between twenty and thirty layers of paint. It is incredibly hard to describe my technique as I don't think about how I do it anymore...I just do it.

Picture credit: "Thirsty Cow", acrylic painting

Click here to go to Cow Art and More to learn more about this image

Digital art added to Cow Art and More

Cow Art and More has added a new art category, digital art, by artist Beth Dunn. Beth uses her computer to take an image and then add layers of abstract lines, bursts of colors and visual effects. Her style incorporates digital static-effects, grunge fonts and/or backgrounds, the use of brushes and color variations to result in the type of pop-art/abstract piece. Beth loves to use bold colors with black and white silhouettes, while throwing in splashes of scribbled lines and shapes for contrast. Beth's art can be found as a subsection of graphics and drawing, under digital art.

Picture credit: "Cow", giclee print of the original digital image

Click here to learn more about this image

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 2

How did you get started?

When I was a child and my mother placed a crayon, a pencil, or a Bic pen in my hand I began to doodle. As time passed it became a compulsion,which I admit, probably even affecting my grades. While my first serious and failed attempt at painting didn't take place till I was a senior in high school, drawing was always a passion.

Picture credit: "Chicken Man", Acrylic painting

Click here to learn more about this image

Monday's agriculture website of interest: SCIENCE DAILY

Today's website of interest to agriculture is Science Daily. This website presents stories about the latest research in many areas, including agriculture, animals, plants, and veterinary medicine. It has received awards from PC Magazine and Popular Science. It also has an archive of scientific images and videos, in addition to a recommended books section.

Photographer Meg Birnbaum Is The Newest Artist On Cow Art And More

Massachusetts photographer Meg Birnbaum now has limited edition prints on Cow Art and More. Meg's work has been recognized nationally for her unique perspective in capturing the balance of diametrically opposed subjects, colors, and themes. She has been a part of over 25 group exhibitions and has 4 solo exhibitions to her credit. She has been featured in The Boston Globe and The Harvard Review, along with other photography publications. Meg's work featured on Cow Art and More is also being showcased at the Hallway Gallery in downtown Boston. Meg's photography will be featured under our new products section until early May.

Picture credit: "Cowgirl"

Click here to learn more about this image including an artist commentary

A conversation with Jon Ellis: Part 1

Why do you paint?

I paint because it pleases me. It pleases me to free something into this world that was once confined only to my imagination. I love putting out my palette and unleashing all those fresh pure colors from their tubes. I love running the tip of my brush through fifteen or more dollops of paint and mixing the perfect color of my choosing. From the beginning to the end of my creative process, I have complete control. Painting and creating art is the 'only' thing in life I am able to control. Whether it took a month, six months or a year to create, when it is done I step back and take a deep breath. With a tremendous sense of satisfaction I stare at what I have brought into the world and feel like I have achieved something wonderful, something which feels nearly 'perfect', even if it is just a feeling.

Picture credit: "Big Tomato", acrylic painting

Click here to go to Cow Art and More to learn more about this image

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts: ART DAILY

Friday's art-themed website is Art Daily, the first online daily art newspaper. It was started in 1996 and brings current art news to the online community. It also maintains a list of links to artists, galleries and museums.

Carla Christina Contreras Joins Cow Art And More

Actress, graphic designer, and photographer Carla Christina Contreras is the newest artist to the Cow Art and More website. Carla's unique background has given her a whimsical attitude to life. This has influenced her photography by allowing her to photograph subjects she may not normally come across. As a result, she has captured cattle and horses on film from a natural observer's point of view. For Cow Art and More, she has developed these images as prints attached to greeting cards. Her images are also available as larger reproductions.

Click here to see Carla's photography and greeting card art in our new products section.

Picture credit: "Highland Moo"

Click here to see more information about this image, including an artist commentary

Jon Ellis featured artist for April.

Cow Art and More is excited to feature acrylic paintings and mixed media creations from Florida artist Jon Ellis. Over the years, Ellis’ fanciful work has graced the cover of many popular books, advertisements and periodicals, including the cover of Time and National Geographic. His work has been exhibited at such prestigious galleries as the ‘Helander Gallery’ on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, as well as, maintained in permanent archival collections at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. Such notable private collectors as Attorney Robert Shapiro have also enjoyed ownership of his work.

The complete line of Jon's work can be seen on our specials page. His work will have free shipping the entire month of April.

Picture credit: "Dining Cow," acrylic on Fabriano art board

Click here to go to Cow Art and More to learn more about this painting