Cow Art and More

Friday's art article - Central Florida cow art in ag

2012-01-06T11:25:00.007-05:00

In case you missed it, Cow Art and More and several of its artists were featured in the November 2011 issue of Central Florida Ag News. Missed it in your mailbox? Read the issue online! (Find us on pages 7, 9, and 38)

Polishing silver cow jewelry

2011-12-14T18:02:00.000-05:00

*This is a reprint of the original post from April. Since I've been busy polishing jewelry this week, I was inspired to share again.*

In getting ready for the Cow Art and More booth at the National Holstein Convention this June, I decided a jewelry inventory was in order. In doing so, I had some dairy cow jewelry pieces that needed polishing.

Metal doesn't want to be shiny. If silver had its choice, it will be a dull flat gray color. We jewelry folks give that bright shine that is so appealing. This is a group of cows that have been polished (foreground) and another group that need polishing (small pile to the upper left of the picture). Before polishing, I coat all of the pieces with a black patina (stain). This will buff off easily, except in the cracks and crevices. This is actually what I want, since that dark patina will highlight some of the subtle details of the cow charm.

The cow to the far left has the black patina, but has not been polished. The one on the right of the picture has been polished.

There's a couple different ways of doing this, but this time, I'm using a flex shaft tool with a buff and red rouge polishing compound. While spinning the buff, I dip it into the red rouge (the mostly hard brick in the right part of the picture), then press the buff onto different areas of the cow charm.

In case you're thinking this looks like your dentist's office, you're pretty much right. Just imagine the higienist polishing your teeth with that minty toothpaste, except I'm using polishing compound on metal.

It leaves a dark red residue on my hands and fingers, which mostly comes off with soap and water. It does get into the cracks of your hands and fingernails though, so people will wonder if you have some strange incurable fungus or something similar.

When I'm done polishing, I use Dawn dish soap to get the greasy compound off. I dry them thoroughly, then they're ready to go!

Click here to see the complete collection of sterling silver cow and farm jewelry charms.

Monday's agriculture website - Christmas Tree facts

2011-12-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

Learn about Christmas trees and more on today's agriculture themed website. The National Agriculture Library has an all inclusive page of links to information about Christmas trees, other holiday themed plants, and decorations. There are tips for keeping your tree looking great while it's on display along with advice for how to plant your live tree after December. Readers can also get helpful hints on keeping your holiday decorations safe. Readers can also enjoy a list of organic Christmas tree growers to purchase a tree from.

Packing cow jewelry for shipping

2011-12-01T18:59:00.000-05:00

Wonder what happens when you place an order for cow and cowgirl jewelry on Cow art and More? Wonder if the little minions are filling your order or if it's even filled by some big warehouse with lots of forklifts driving around? This short video shows you exactly how your order is carefully packaged and shipped to you!

Thanksgiving blessings and #foodthanks

2011-11-23T18:18:00.000-05:00

As we all sit down to our respective Thanksgiving Dinners tomorrow, I wanted to give personal #foodthanks for several items:

1. Thank you to all the farmers that work 24/7/365. Farming isn't a job, it's a lifestyle. You make many sacrifices to make sure others can have food to eat.

2. Thank you to all those who choose to work in a place to allow me to get this food. Whether you're a trucker, grocer, or processor, thank you for helping to bring food to my table.

3. Thank you to the charities and organizations that make sure people around the world can avoid hunger.

4. Thank you to the people who teach others how to use food to their advantage by improving their health and well being.

5. Thank you for those that choose to make preparing food your profession, especially when you're one of my favorite eateries.

6. Thank you for those involved to help me get some of my favorite can't live without foods: any dairy product, coffee, chocolate, wine, fresh herbs, garlic, ripe tomatoes, and a really good filet.

7. Thanks to those who are producing technology to help provide food security for those around the world.

8. Thank you to wineries and Food Network television (and magazine!) for helping me to appreciate the art of food. (Everything involving the 'art of food' has quickly become one of my favorite ways to spend time with my family.)

9. Thank you to those who lose sleep over keeping our food supply safe.

10. Thank you to the local farmers who sell at farmers' markets. Those relationships are such a wonderful things to have.

What are you giving #foodthanks for today?

Monday's agriculture website - #foodthanks

2011-11-21T20:02:00.000-05:00

Food doesn’t just happen. It takes an incredible number of caring, thoughtful, hard-working individuals to provide the food for the meals we enjoy every day. From farmer to processor to truck driver to chef to retailer, millions work hard to provide our food.

Those people deserve our thanks, especially during the Thanksgiving holiday. Please remember to give #foodthanks this week on your blog, facebook pages, and twitter, especially on Wednesday, November 23. (Learn more at the official Foodthanks website.)

I want to take the opportunity to personally thank each and every person for helping to provide the food myself and my family will consume for our Thanksgiving meal. I know there are a lot of hands involved and my thanks go to every one of you. Thank you for providing a safe, affordable, nutritious product. I am also proud of the small role I play in helping to bring food to the table of many families. It makes me proud to say that I help farmers take care of their animals so they can feed people.

Regardless of who produced your food or how it got to you, I hope we can agree that they all deserve our thanks. As you sit down for your Thanksgiving meal this week, please remember to give #foodthanks.

P.S. For those of you on twitter, #foodthanks is the hashtag to express your gratitude there as well.

Getting cow art ready for holiday sales

2011-11-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, we've been gearing up for the holidays since the beginning of October. Everything from making sure we have enough cow art inventory to designing the postcards mailing out to customers today. Here's a few random pictures from the office today showing what's going on:

Our postcard mailing is going to the post office today. (Thanks to hubby for taking it there for me.) We send out our postcards bulk mail, so we have to address and organize them before they go.

You can't be ready to ship anything out without having plenty of shipping containers. Our items go out in either padded envelopes or cardboard boxes of some kind. (We also try to recycle and reuse boxes when possible.)

When shipments go out from the Cow Art and More office, we send them with a package tracking number. Customers can easily track their packages through the appropriate website (USPS, UPS or FedEx) (By the way, we don't send them smudged either -- but I didn't want to violate anyone's privacy by sharing package shipping information.)

And yes, we do have print catalogs! It's an abbreviated version of our online catalog and generally only includes our best sellers. If you have online access, going to the Cow Art and More website is still the way to go, but for those with dial up internet or no internet at all (gasp!), we are happy to mail a catalog.

What are you doing to get ready for the holidays?

How to paint your own collage papers

2011-11-16T17:44:00.000-05:00

Want to give a try at making your own mixed media collages but have questions? This guest blog post by cow art collage artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson discusses some of her strategies and techniques when it comes to making a one-of-a-kind collage.

Why Paint Your Own Collage Papers?

In the beginning, I used art store purchased papers in my collage work. I found the most richly colored, textured, patterned papers in the art store and I collected and coveted them on every trip I took. On a trip to New York City I must have spent over $100 on sheets of luxuriously colored papers at the store Kate’s Paper.

What happened next was sad, but true. Most art store papers fade! These papers are possibly colored with dye and not pure pigment (the color that is the base of all fine art paints and pastels). Dye fades over time, depending on its exposure to sunlight. It will break your heart to see a collage fading right in front of you, little by little, as the years go by. At first you might not even notice it, until you look back at a photo of the work on a note card or on your website, and all of a sudden you realize that your original just does not look as vibrant as it used to.
To combat this dilemma, I started painting my own papers. I use Golden Artist Colors Fluid Acrylic paints, they are lightfast (resistant to fading) professional paints. Painting my own papers offered me a whole new world of possibilities of color, a perfect paper palette.

Papers for Painting

These acid-free Oriental papers are strong and absorbent. They are made in the centuries-old Japanese tradition. They are white and natural tones which make an excellent base for creating your own brilliantly colored collage papers. All are available at DickBlick.com

Hosho — Hosho is a traditional kozo (mulberry fiber) paper that doesn’t shrink or tear easily, making it ideal for woodblock or line printing. Hosho paper is sized.
Kozo — Kozo rice paper is highly absorbent, making it ideal for calligraphy and watercolor painting. Kozo paper is not sized.
Unryu — Unryu rice paper has been used for centuries in Japan for creating Shoji screens and is extremely strong, thanks to molded-in fibers. It’s excellent for calligraphy, sumi-e, watercolors. Unryu paper is not sized.
Ricer Paper Sheets — Hanshi Japanese rice paper for brush writing or calligraphy is mouldmade in the centuries-old Japanese tradition makes excellent base for fluid acrylics, available in sheets if you prefer, versus a roll.
Assorted Japanese Sheets — You may purchase a 10-sheet assortment of fine Japanese papers from DickBlick.com. This assortment includes two full sheets of Chiri (sized), Okawara (sized), Unryu (not sized), Kitakata (sized), and Mulberry (not sized). A nice way to experiment and find which papers work best for you.
Thai Unryu — Long, swirling strands of kozo provide contrast and texture in these traditional style unryu papers. Lightweight and translucent, choose from a range of natural tones, perfect for painting your own colors, textures, and patterns.

Techniques for Painting Papers

Every couple of months I pull out the paints, a large sheet of plexiglass, paint brushes, and I make myself a batch of custom colored collage papers. My friend and fellow collage artist Jo suggested that I try fluid acrylics, since they retain their intensity when watered down. I said to her, “Jo, are they REALLY better? Because they are REALLY expensive.” Well she said “YES” and I took her advice, guess what?

They are REALLY GREAT!

You can dilute fluid acrylics, spatter, splash, blot into them, and they stay very intense in their color. It’s usually quite warm in Florida, with a mild breeze, this is perfect weather for letting the papers dry on the grass outside the studio, if need be you can also let the papers dry indoors on plastic trash bags. There is a table in my studio covered with a large sheet of plexiglass for monoprinting. I learned the hard way that if you let the paper dry directly on the plexi, it sticks. Transfering the painted papers to trash bags allows them to be easily peeled off when dry. This process can also create some interesting effects from the crinkle pattern of the bag.
Beyond just tinting collage papers with fluid acrylics, I have developed some interesting techniques. To achieve texture and variety of colors, I spatter, dry brush, and monoprint.
I start with Japanese Washi paper (white rice paper, very absorbent) and natural tone art store papers. The art store paper offers textures and a variety of thickness. I also often buy art papers with some printing on them (and or glitter in them) that will show through the fluid acrylic applicationthis offers nice effect. I also paint my kids’ old workbook pages, as well as old book pages from used book stores, maps, old check registers, addressed envelopes, anything I can imagine would make good collage material.

Blotting

The sheets of paper shown here are an example of the blotting technique. This is white Washi paper purchased on a roll. I tear off a sheet and keep it on hand to “blot” the excess drips and globs of paint from the plexiglass between painting other sheets! Let nothing go to waste. I can also enhance the blotting feeling of this paper by spattering some paint directly on to the plexiglass and then blotting the Washi into it. Not only does this technique clean your work surface by absorbing all the leftover paint, it also makes for some wonderful collage paper when you get the color combinations right!

Monoprinting

For a monoprint, I create a pattern with the brush and fluid or full-body acrylics, painted directly onto the plexiglass surface. Then, I press the paper into the paint and pull a print. This process is very good for showing brush texture and interesting patterns.
You can monoprint first on white paper, let that dry, and paint over it with watered down fluid acrylic so that the monoprint shows through. Alternately, you can paint the paper a solid shade first, let it dry, and then monoprint a complimentary color in heavy body or fluid acrylic.
Experimentation is the name of the game. Using colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel, or analogous colors, look pleasing together because they are closely related. Orange, yellow-orange, and yellow are an example of analogous colors. Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh is an example of a painting that utilizes this type of color palette.

Dry Brushing

At left is a nice example of the dry brush technique. First, I took this sheet of art paper and dry brushed dark green onto it with a dry brush dipped very lightly in fluid acrylics, I zipped the brush lightly across the sheet without much pressure. The nature of this paper is very absorbent, so the ink sinks right in and does not spread much.

Next, after letting the paper dry in the sun for about 10 minutes, I took the paper back into the studio and mixed up some lime green (an analogous color on the color wheel) with much water so that it was very translucent. I quickly and completely brushed this color over the top of the dark green dry brushing, to cover all of this heavy art paper.
The effect is a nice green toned paper with much texture that would be very good for grass or tree leaves.

Spattering

Take this outside, I learned the hard way what a mess it is if you don’t! You may use a toothbrush and run your thumb across it for a more fine spatter, or shake a large brush full of diluted fluid acrylics for a bold spatter. If you work “wet in wet” (spray down your paper first with a water mist bottle) spatter droplets of diluted paint onto wet paper, they will bleed and spread nicely. If you work dry, you will get a totally different effect, spots with defined edges.

How to keep sterling silver jewelry free of tarnish

2011-11-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

In the process of designing, constructing and selling sterling silver jewelry to customers, I am often asked how to keep the jewelry clean and free of tarnish. Here are a few of my recommendations along with customer mistakes (and how to fix them!).

1. The first thing you need to know is that "tarnish happens" when it comes to jewelry. Even gold jewelry, after many years, will eventually tarnish. Tarnish is caused by the reaction of the copper, in the sterling silver or gold, to humidity and elements. Even perfumes, lotions, hair care products and sweat will accelerate tarnish on jewelry.

The remedy: Try to make sure all your "body products" (hairspray, lotions, etc.) are dry before putting on your jewelry. After you are done wearing your jewelry, wipe it clean and dry with a soft cloth (I prefer plush cotton or flannel) before storing it.

2. Leave jewelry sitting out, exposed to the air most of the time, tarnish becomes inevitable.

The remedy: Store jewelry in a place that is cool, dark and not exposed to air. Other jewelers advocate placing jewelry in a ziploc bag for storage. You must make sure your jewelry is absolutely dry and the bag is free of air when doing this. Otherwise, you create a "rainforest" in the bag and it will tarnish in a matter of days! If you want to do this, I would recommend wrapping the piece in a soft cloth first, then place in a ziploc bag. Squeeze all the air out of the bag before closing. For those that like having their jewelry in a box where you can easily see it, place a piece of chalk in the box. The chalk will absorb the moisture. Be sure to replace the chalk monthly.

3. My jewelry is tarnished. What is the best way to clean it?

The remedy: Always opt first for a polishing cloth to remove tarnish from your jewelry. I sell and recommend the Sunshine polishing cloths, but have also had good luck with Haggerty's silversmith polish sprayed on a soft cloth. (Do not spray this product directly on the piece.) Sometimes I will use the tarnish removing dip to clean a piece, but ONLY if the piece is metal only (no stones) and if there is no "patina" on the piece. (Patina is the intentional oxidation of the piece to highlight details.) These dips mush be used with care as they are removing the outer layer of metal on a piece (like the cloths) and can act very quickly!

4. I use a tarnish removing dip cleaner for my silver and now it tarnishes so much faster. Why is it doing this?

The remedy: While the liquid dips that remove tarnish will do so, they leave a sulfur residue that makes the jewelry react with the air and tarnish more quickly than before. If you are going to use the silver dip, the jewelry must be rinsed for a minimum of 15 minutes under running water to remove all the sulfur residue.

5. Someone told me to use toothpaste and/or baking soda to clean my jewelry. Is this okay?

The remedy: Using either of these is only okay only IF the sterling silver has a matte finish. If the jewelry has a shiny, mirror polish to it, these abrasives will remove the tarnish but will also scratch that shiny finish. Should this happen, they only way to remedy the situation is to have a professional properly polish the piece again, assuming the damage isn't too great.

6. What about ultrasonic jewelry cleaning?

The remedy: This is only an option for pure metal jewelry (no stones) or jewelry with stones hard enough to withstand ultrasonic cleaning. Stones such as coral, turquoise, tanzanite, and others are not ultrasonic cleanable. When in doubt, please consult the designer of the piece or a jewelry repair expert.

Learn more about caring for art and jewelry on the Cow Art and More art resources page.

You put your arm where???

2011-11-10T14:19:00.012-05:00

*This is a repost of the original blog entry from May 2010. It was too good not to share again.*

Sometimes you have to be mental to do this job

I love being a cattle veterinarian, I really do. But sometimes explaining some of what I do to non-agricultural people makes them ask , "You like doing that?" (referring to the long, hot, dirty, and eventually stinky days I endure.) Case in point, in order for me to diagnose a cow pregnant, I have to do a rectal exam. That involves sticking my hand and most of my arm up her rectum to feel her uterus to look for a baby. Invariably, I get some strange looks as people try to assess my mental status and guess whether or not my fingernails are clean. I suppose when you take that procedure out of context, it does make you wonder why someone would want to spend eight years of school and tens of thousands of dollars to learn how to do this. In the end, I don't mind telling you that I enjoy being a little mental (in a good way) to want to get up and do that on a daily basis. I tell you all this to get to the point of this blog post.

I get lots of correspondence from different companies about their products. They range from pharmaceuticals, feed additives, vaccines, etc. Sometimes companies send me actual samples of their products. One of the latest products I received almost made me giddy.

I got a armpit length glove sample from the Neogen Corporation. This just isn't any glove to use in rectal exams. This is a new to the market "PolyPetite" glove just for women. Woo-hoo! So just what makes this glove so special?

I will quote a few lines from their sales letter: "The sleeve was developed to fit the needs of the growing number of women involved in the veterinary care of large animals. The new sleeve is cut slimmer, especially through the wrist and hand area. Women shouldn't have to use sleeves designed for men, and give up the comfort and feel of a sleeve that fits."

Wow! And it's "girly-girl" pink. The cows will love that.

Friday's art article - Cow Parade Austin

2011-11-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard, painted cows have invaded Austin, Texas! From July through October of this year, 74 painted cows were on the streets of Austin as a part of the Cow Parade Austin exhibit. The event culminates next weekend with a live auction of the cows with special guest emcee, The Tonight Show host, Jay Leno. Proceeds of the auction will benefit a local children's charity.

Can't make the auction and missed the cows live? No worries! Pictures of the Cow Parade Austin cows can be viewed online, along with creating artist information.

Giving Thanks for your favorite charity

2011-11-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

Thanksgiving is the annual U.S. holiday that allows us to stop and give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Cow Art and More is no different. We are thankful to have the opportunity to showcase the best in agricultural art (and the best customers I might add). The stories you share with us about how our art has brought so much joy to your life are truly a treasure. This month, we would like to say THANK YOU by helping three different charities (and here's where we need your help).

Cow Art and More will give a silver jewelry charm each to three worthy charities to include in their fundraising activities. We know that many groups have yearly auctions and/or raffles and work very hard to find donations for these events. We want to help.

Please send an email to info@cowartandmore.com with a brief description of your group and what you will do with the charm.
Explain what the donation proceeds will help you do and include a picture if you can. The responses will be included on our Facebook fan page.
The three winners will be announced Thanksgiving Day. (By the way, you can encourage your friends to comment on our Facebook page to help plead your cause!)

Thank YOU for the opportunity and we look forward to helping others this month.

Cow jewelry on Cow Art and More

2011-11-02T14:21:00.001-04:00

Many thanks to our summer intern Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez for using her creative talents to create a video about the silver cow jewelry on Cow Art and More. It's beautiful! (and of course I had to share -- enjoy!)

Monday's agriculture website - American Sheep Industry Association

2011-10-31T16:55:00.005-04:00

Today's agriculture website of interest is for the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI). ASI is the national organization representing the interests of more than 82,000 sheep producers located throughout the United States. ASI is a federation of 45 state sheep associations as well as individual members. All ASI officers, board of director members and council and committee members serve as volunteers. The origin of the association dates back to 1865.

From the domestic and international promotion of wool and pelts to its work on legislative, science and technology, animal health and resource management issues, ASI is a producer-powered federation of state organizations dedicated to the common goal of promoting the profitability and well-being of the U.S. sheep industry. The goals of the organization include developing an industry vision, advocating public policy to protect, promote and support the economical viability of the sheep industry, creating strong national and international markets for wool, advancing and coordinating the science and technology of sheep production, and promoting communication and cooperation between all segments of the industry, related business and government agencies.

Friday's art article - common metals used in jewelry

2011-10-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

When it comes to buying jewelry made of metal, there are lots of options (and terms!) to know. I'm going to break them down for you and what they actually mean:

Sterling silver: Contains 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. The copper hardens the overall piece making it 'dent' and mark resistant, but the copper in the metal will react with the oxygen in the air. This results in the dreaded tarnish that eventually forms. (There are ways to avoid tarnish on silver jewelry.) This jewelry is stamped as 'sterling' or .925

Fine silver: This is 100 percent pure silver. This isn't used much in jewelry that is cast (like the cow jewelry charms), but I have used this when making granulation jewelry. Fine silver is softer than sterling silver. This silver may also be stamped as 'fine silver' or .999

Argentium silver: This contains the 92.5 percent silver, but some of the copper has been replaced with germanium. This silver is more resistant to tarnish than sterling silver, but is also more expensive. Currently, argentium silver doesn't have its own 'stamp', so pieces made with this type of metal will be called sterling silver.

24 karat yellow gold: Pure gold. Very soft and not typically used by itself as jewelry. Also referred to as fine gold. Will be stamped as 'fine gold' or .999

10 karat, 14 karat, 18 karat, and 22 karat gold: Refer to how many parts of the 24 karats that contain gold. The higher the karat number, the more parts of gold in the resulting piece of jewelry. The other metals included in this jewelry are typically silver, copper, nickel and/or palladium. When pricing these items, the price generally fluctuates with the amount of gold in the piece (i.e. 18 karat gold jewelry costs more than 14 karat gold jewelry). The higher amount of gold, the more of a yellow appearance to the piece, but the piece will be softer and less 'dent' resistant. This jewelry is stamped as the appropriate number and K. (e.g. 14K)

White gold: This is yellow gold that is combined with either nickel or palladium to give it a white appearance.

Rose gold: This is yellow gold that has a higher percentage of copper to give it a 'blush' appearance.

Green gold: Yellow gold that is alloyed with silver only. The final gold has a yellow-green appearance.

Blue/purple gold: Gold that has been alloyed with iron or aluminum. Very difficult to work with after creation and rarely used.

Plated jewelry: This jewelry is made with a more inexpensive metal, usually silver or bronze, then coated with a more expensive metal. The metal is plated by using chemical or electrochemical means.

Gold filled jewelry: This is a process where a solid layer of gold is bonded to a base metal (usually brass) using heat and pressure. The layer of gold is thousands of times thicker than the layer of gold in gold plated jewelry and much more resistant to wear. This process has recently become available for sterling silver as well.

So how do you know what you have?

Look for a stamp in the back or inside of the piece.

What if there is no stamp? How do I know?

The rules requiring jewelers to place stamps on their products are a bit unclear. We don't have to put on the stamps, especially if we are small production companies (like myself). I choose not to stamp the charms because on many of them, I can't stamp them without detracting from the piece. My advice: if you ever have any questions, ask the person you're buying your jewelry from. If that person isn't available (you're rummaging through an estate sale or got something as a gift) some jewelry repair shops also have commercial kits (using chemicals) that can tell you what your piece of jewelry is made from.

Cow Art and More Oct e-news

2011-10-27T14:14:00.000-04:00

Looking for advice on how to pick the right glass for a picture frame? Need a link to print your own Halloween candy bar wrappers? Missed the news about the two new artists we added to our gallery? Check out the October edition of the Cow Art and More e-news. (And by the way, it's free!)

What is #FoodDay to you?

2011-10-24T13:37:00.008-04:00

If you're active on twitter, you might have seen the #FoodDay hashtag floating around in tweets today. The idea behind Food Day is to bring people together to talk food, 'Real food' specifically (according to FoodDay.org).

I want to hear what you have to say about your food! Leave a comment below in the comment box or link to a blog or facebook post you might want to share. Let me hear about what food and/or real food means to you.

(By the way, I wrote about this topic last week about a veterinarian's role in food production.)

Two new painters join Cow Art and More

2011-10-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

I am excited to introduce two new painters to the Cow Art and More portfolio of artists:

Laura Carey has lived in Canada all her life. She new painting would be an important part of her life, but had no idea that dairy farming would be as important as well. The dairy cattle on the farm she operates with her husband serve as the inspiration for her paintings.

Narrie Toole hails from New Mexico. While she no longer has cattle of her own, she managed her own herd of beef cattle for many years and exhibited the cattle nationally. Narrie's loose impressionistic style of oil painting captures the attention of collectors worldwide.

You can find the complete collection of both artists work in the painting category along with the new products section through the end of the month.

Monday's agriculture website - Rural Women Rock

2011-10-17T14:21:00.015-04:00

What happens when you throw a bunch of women that are every bit 'country' in some way or another? You get the Rural Women Rock! blog. The blog was started by rural Oklahoma flower shop owner Kasse Duffy as a place for rural women across American to share and connect. To take Kasse's words directly from the blog:

"My vision is to be the platform and voice, to share the stories and lifestyles of rural women around the world. If you are a rural woman and you rock, or if your a city gal who loves your rural sisters, join us in this journey. I have a feeling its not going to be a smooth ride all the way, back roads can get messy. Lets roll down our windows, let our hair down, turn the music up, and let it all hang out. I have a feeling its going to be life changing, and so much fun for us to all be in it together."

Whether you are a 'rural' woman or not, readers are encouraged to share and support each other. The community members take turn writing the blog posts and enjoy the friendship of rural life. The journey is just getting started.....

Veterinarians and food safety #BAD11 #FoodDay

2011-10-15T09:45:00.023-04:00

While I normally blog about art and agriculture, I wanted to take the opportunity to join the worldwide blog conversation today about food. It's a great topic for all of us since we all eat, regardless of where it may have come from. In my role as a large animal veterinarian, food safety is a part of my focus in working with farms.

How is a veterinarian involved with the safety of the food you eat?

Here's a little of what I do in my day that helps keep the beef and dairy products you buy safe:

1. Whenever I prescribe ANY medication for use in a food producing animal, I have to include the time that meat or milk products from this animal cannot be used for human consumption. This includes antibiotics, hormones, and other supportive products. (And by the way, those times aren't my best guess. They have been established by the Food and Drug Administration.)

2. I work with my farms on developing plans to control disease and sickness on farms without needing to use antibiotics. This includes using effective vaccine strategies (using the best vaccines at the best times) and the latest in technology to diagnose diseases. This allows me to confirm disease diagnoses quicker and institute strategies to prevent the disease in the first place.

3. I show people where and how to give the medications as to reduce the risk that not only will the medication cause damage to that future piece of steak, but will also stay in the system longer to cause a medication residue.

4. While every antibiotic used in a food producing animal must have a withdrawal time listed, that is simply not enough to be sure everything is 100 percent safe. I have worked with my farm clients to show them how to use on-farm testing methods to make sure animals returning into production are free of antibiotics and can have their products consumed safely.

5. It's important that if I diagnose a disease on a farm that has a human food safety danger (like Salmonella or E. coli), everyone needs to know all precautions that need to be taken to not only stop the spread, but prevent the sickness of people both working on the farm and product consumers.

6. When it comes to looking at a herd of animals, I also find it a part of my job that I identify risks to operations and how to prevent them from causing a food borne illness. For example, as much as wild birds are great to look at, they can be the source of Salmonella outbreaks. We take precautions to keep these animals from mingling in key areas of farm animals.

7. I'm also involved in helping to control diseases of risk to human health that can be passed through the food through government surveillance programs. This includes testing and vaccinating against Brucellosis and testing for Tuberculosis, both of which can be contracted by people who eat infected products from an animal carrying these diseases.

These are just a few of my duties. Some other responsibilities of veterinarians and food safety include:

1. Veterinarians serving as meat inspectors in federally inspected meat processing plants to make sure only healthy animals enter the food supply.
2. Veterinarians in the armed forces inspecting food to make sure it is safe for troops to eat.
3. Veterinarians serving in positions involved with human and public health to investigate food borne illnesses and disease outbreaks potentially coming from an animal source.

I'm proud to be a (small) part of keeping the food on your plate safe and healthy.

Friday's art website - Art Therapy

2011-10-14T16:10:00.004-04:00

Friday's website of interest to art enthusiasts is the American Art Therapy Association. My career in veterinary medicine does not allow for much creativity, so I love that I can express my artistic side by making jewelry. It's good for the brain! I chose to feature this website today because this group focuses on helping people heal mentally by learning and making art.

The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) is an organization of professionals dedicated to the belief that the creative process involved in art making is healing and life enhancing. Its mission is to serve its members and the general public by providing standards of professional competence, and developing and promoting knowledge in, and of, the field of art therapy. The AATA represents approximately 5,000 members and 36 AATA State and Regional Chapters that conduct meetings and activities to promote art therapy on the local level.

Zero to chaos in three minutes or less

2011-10-12T14:46:00.000-04:00

Sometimes my kids are with me in my Cow Art and More office. I do my best to keep them occupied with something productive while also keeping an eagle eye on them. If you're a parent, you know how quickly things can go from perfect to pandemonium in a wee couple of minutes.

In my life, it happens when I'm on the phone.

Meet my youngest child.

A serious flirt.

And mischief maker.

And he eats....A LOT. In fact, if you ask him, he will tell you his name is Chunky Monkey.

His father and I are completely prepared to get the phone call from school one day that he has run his underwear up a flagpole.

(And is using his charm and good looks to get out of having to scrub the entire cafeteria floor as his punishment.)

Why am I worried about such things at such a young and sweet and tender age? Because of what he can do with a couple of markers in just three minutes.

Who knew that in the time it takes to take a phone order from a customer that you can paint your hands with a marker.

And if that wasn't enough, he wanted to show me he artistic talent and could use the complimentary color orange on his arms to set off the color purple on his hands. (If you're trying to calculate a score for this masterpiece, using two colors in under three minutes does increase the difficulty factor by 0.3).

So if you ever call to ask a question, place an order, or just otherwise chit-chat, remind me to check on Chunky Monkey and make sure I have all marking elements (including my collection of 64 different colors of Sharpies) in my possession.

(By the way, I can't wait to get a note from school today asking me to keep my child home until his fungus has resolved.)

Monday's agriculture website - Pumpkin Patches

2011-10-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

At least for me, Fall brings thoughts of leaves falling from trees, cooler weather, and Halloween. Of course what's Halloween without a carved pumpkin? Looking for a fun way to find a pumpkin patch and make it a family activity? Check out the Pumpkin Patches and More website for a state by state listing of pumpkin patches, Halloween events, and hayrides. There is even a link for Halloween crafts and recipes. The website also includes articles on what to expect when visiting a pumpkin patch or corn maze.

Lost Wax Jewelry Casting Process - How silver jewelry is made

2011-10-07T14:18:00.005-04:00

As many of you know, in making silver cow jewelry, I send it out to a small company in Maine to get the original model reproduced. I don't make the multiples myself because it's a labor intensive process and requires a lot of equipment. I've been on the search for a good video that explains the lost wax casting procedures and found this one is a good fit. It is from another jeweler showing how he reproduced a couple of wedding rings, but the process is still the same. It does lack, however, in some captions that I think would be helpful to explaining how it's done, so I will sum it up in a nutshell here:

You start with an original model (either out of wax or a metal model).
Make a mold of that model.
Inject that mold with hot wax to make replicas of the model.
Put all the models onto a 'tree'. The base of the tree is on raised circle called a button.
Surround the tree with a can and investment (plaster).
Heat the can and investment so the wax evaporates. Then you are left with a negative space.
Heat the appropriate amount of metal and fill the negatives space in the tree.
Dissolve the plaster in water and cut the metal pieces off the tree.
Finish and polish.

New LOWER silver cow jewelry prices

2011-10-06T14:52:00.000-04:00

What goes up, must come down....eventually. Precious metals prices are finally showing signs of a continuing downward price. As I have promised to customers in the past, when metal prices come down, so will jewelry prices. Woo hoo! Enjoy lower prices on all the sterling silver cow jewelry charms, charm bracelets, and snake chain necklaces effective immediately! (And as always, excellent customer service is at no additional charge.) I can't guarantee how long this will last and suggest buying now for Christmas.

And the cow art gift certificate winner is....

2011-10-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Colleen Newvine (@NewvineGrowing) for being the lucky winner of the drawing for the $50 gift certificate for participating in our customer satisfaction survey. She can spend it any way she likes, which we hope will come in handy with the holidays on the way.

In case you're curious as to how her name was picked (and want to see the video debut of the official studio cat), you're invited to watch the selection video:

Am I superwoman? Hardly.

2011-10-04T13:23:00.025-04:00

I get the comment from amazed and bewildered people from time to time regarding my many hats (veterinarian, jewelry artist, art gallery owner, mom, agnerd, volunteer -- and not necessarily in that order depending on the day).

"How do you get it all done?"

I don't know that I do anything much different from anyone else, but here's my take on how I get things done (outside of my magic wand):

I don't sleep much. Caffeine and I are close friends, and I don't spend much time with my head on a pillow. While this let's me get a lot done, I am working hard on trying to change this. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's affecting my health in not a good way, so this one has got to get remedied sooner rather than later.
I don't do anymore housework than absolutely necessary. Not kidding. I do my best to make sure my kids go to school in clean clothes and don't get sick from a food borne illness, but the rest gets done......whenever. My little peeps (or Hurricane three boys as I affectionately refer to them sometimes) can destroy a house in minutes. Seriously. So why spend hours (yes, hours) cleaning up only to have chaos again in a matter of minutes? I have just learned to live with the chaos and not have people over to visit without 3 weeks notice and a cleaning crew scheduled.
This next one is a biggie. I didn't even realize my advantage here until a couple of years ago. My husband works at the grocery store. I send a list with him every day or two and I almost never have to go. I figure this one saves me three to five hours a week, easy.
I don't watch much TV. Okay, I do like watching a few shows, but when I do, it's on the DVR or online. Zip through the commercials and that 1 hour show is now down to forty-two minutes (and I'm usually making jewelry while I'm watching).
I have a great babysitter. She is fantastic at helping to keep my kids in line and fed...and my kids LOVE her. (More than me sometimes as they have been so kind to share as I'm taking away their favorite monster trucks for beating the crap out of each other.)
I spend every possible moment doing something. This probably isn't quite the best as my brain probably does need some down time, but if I've got a minute, I'm busy. The ten or fifteen minutes I might have waiting on a client or getting to my next destination early is perfect for catching up on blog reading, sending out emails, or returning a few phone calls. And since I also spend a lot of time in a vet truck, I subscribe to some killer business podcasts and listen while driving.
I have the best, most supportive spouse in the world. Parenting is something we both do. He knows when I'm in my office working that he's in charge. I can't also thank him enough for the help he gives me in the business.

I am anything but superwoman. I just play her on my blog.

Let me hear from you. What do you do to get through your day?

Monday's agriculture website - Feedyard Foodie

2011-10-03T14:25:00.000-04:00

What happens when South Florida athlete meets country boy and moves to Nebraska? You get the blending of city and country and the resulting blog: Feedyard Foodie. Anne Burkholder writes about her family's feedlot operation and what it's like taking care of the beef animals on her farm. She also delves into the tough topics that consumers have questions on: hormone use, confinement, and animal welfare. You can also view a slideshow of the many pictures she has of her cattle and ranch.

Cow Art and More September e-news

2011-09-29T14:02:00.000-04:00

Want to know what's going on the gallery this month? Be sure to check out the Cow Art and More September e-news. Get some art tips, a do-it-yourself art project and find the link to our survey to help us serve you better.

Cow art pictures from Pennsylvania

2011-09-28T12:13:00.017-04:00

I'm FINALLY sharing more pictures of the Cow Art and More booth from the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show. My apologies for not having these up sooner, but last week was just NUTTY! Seriously. I don't know how people travel all the time and keep up with a business and family life.

Anyway....here there are!

We had more of the puzzles with two of the paintings by Robert Duncan. These 1000 piece puzzles are the perfect gift. You can also see some of the Holstein card sets by Robin Pedrero and the iPhone cases by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.

We also had an assortment of bookmark magnets by Palmetto Cat Designs. In addition to the Holstein bookmarks, we had flowers, flags and chickens.

The nightlights by Spotlight Designs were also a big hit. It's funny to see them be popular with all age groups. Apparently, you're never too old to have a nightlight.

We showed off the stained glass box trophies we did for this year's Red and White Holstein show along with an example of a black and white Holstein piece with colored glass.

Of course we couldn't go to the show without bringing along our favorite accessory: bags! We had tote bags by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson and Valerie D'Ortona. These bags are perfect for the beach or trip to the grocery store.

Of course the weekend wouldn't be complete without some art prints. At left is "Holstein" by Jo Lynch.

Cow Art and More also had prints of the popular "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky" by Robin Maria Pedrero.

We had a great weekend and we so excited to meet our many fans! Thank you for the hospitality!

PA All American Dairy show

2011-09-20T14:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks Pennsylvania for showing us some great hospitality. In case you couldn't make it this weekend, here's a few pictures:

We had another 10 foot by 10 foot booth. An eight foot table and my shipping crate (foreground) were waiting for me.

Unfortunately, my kids weren't with me to see the forklift move it. They refer to ALL forklifts now as "Guido", from the movie Cars.

Display and art made it safely to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was my first time shipping something by freight, so a big Phew! was in order.

Look familiar? The wood grain foam floor tiles made another impression on attendees. People loved how they looked and loved that they were easy to stand on. (They were good for me too. Standing on concrete for hours wears on me too.)

Voila! Another display of cow art, this time at the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show. The booth came together beautifully and I am grateful to both of my sisters who helped me during the weekend.

This is Morgan who was kind enough to let me photograph her excitement over getting a Buttercup no. 1 iPhone case. After I saw these cases, I want an iPhone now too. (My Blackberry is threatening never to speak to me again now.)

I'm also happy to report that Bessie the cow has a new home. She said she might miss the Florida sunshine, but is excited to see snow.

By the way, we will NOT be at World Dairy Expo this year. While the show management has been great to work with, they were not able to fit us in for the third year in a row. Thanks to all our fans who have asked and maybe you can put in a good word for us to show management when you're in Madison, Wisconsin in a couple of weeks!

Many thanks to all our old and new fans that made the Pennsylvania trip a great time!

Monday's agricultural website - Food Dialogues #FoodD

2011-09-19T14:38:00.008-04:00

Today's agriculture website to share is for the Food Dialogues town hall meeting that will be occurring later this week. Americans have a lot of questions about how food is raised, the impact on their health and the health of the planet. In an effort organized by the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, the Food Dialogues will be this Thursday, September 22, beginning at 11:30am EDT. This is a part of a new effort by the alliance to bring together different viewpoints on farming and ranching and the future of food to solve our most challenging problems. People can participate by watching the conversations through a webcast on FoodDialogues.com or by using the Facebook application.

(Full disclosure: I will be attending the town hall meeting in Washington, D.C. live and will be tweeting about the talk Thursday. Follow the #FoodD tag on twitter.)

Shipping cow art to the PA All American Dairy Show

2011-09-14T14:13:00.000-04:00

So this all sounds familiar right? Pack a vehicle, travel north. Well, this time I'm doing it a bit differently. I packed the majority of what I will need for the PA All American Dairy show (art, display materials, etc.) and shipped it via a packing crate.

Bessie the metal cow will be making an appearance at the show again. She was a hit, especially with those kids that were on her level.

The art display pedestals and their tops are on their way again. They pack nice and flat, but are a bit wide (24 inches). The size of these pedestals are the reason why I got the size crate I did.

The crate just fit into the back of my vet truck. My kids were excited to see this big box in the back of my truck.

I ended up using UPS freight to ship my crate to Pennsylvania. In order to get the best shipping price, I had to take it directly to the shipping depot in Ocala, which is about an hour away. (My business doesn't have a loading dock or a forklift, so it was going to cost a lot more to have a truck come directly to the office.)

Notice the tailgate of my girly girl vet truck doesn't come even with the loading dock? This will become important in a minute.

The first attempt to get the box off my truck with a forklift (or as my kids say "Guido" -- a tribute from the Cars movie) didn't work. It just couldn't reach the pallet to scoop it up.

Go to Plan B.

The UPS freight guys were super nice and used a hoist and the forklift to get it up on the dock. Now we're cooking.

And here is its home -- for a couple of days anyway. Actually, as I write this, the crate is already there. I shipped it last Friday. The process actually went a little easier than I was expecting.

Now, to shove everything else in two suitcases. Yeah, that's not going to be as easy as I thought.

Monday's agriculture website - Hay drive for Southern farmers

2011-09-12T14:29:00.000-04:00

Meet Carrie Mess (@dairycarrie). I first met Carrie a few weeks ago at the Agchat Foundation conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Carrie has organized a hay drive to allow farmers in her area of Wisconsin and the midwest to send hay to those farms in Oklahoma and Texas affected by the severe drought this summer. Carrie recently wrote a guest blog post about it for the blog of Janice Person (@JPLovesCotton). Read here about what Carrie is doing to send hay to drought affected areas.

Friday's art article - How to Clean Sterling Silver Jewelry With Baking Soda

2011-09-09T17:48:00.003-04:00

While sterling silver jewelry is beautiful to look at and affordable to have, unfortunately it will eventually tarnish. My first choice for cleaning jewelry, is to use the Sunshine polishing cloths. They work on a variety of metals and can last a very long time if stored in an air tight bag. However, the cloths sometimes can't get into crevices or hard to reach places and a Plan B is needed. This is a short, two minute video showing how to clean silver jewelry using aluminum foil and baking soda for such times. (As a personal note on this video, I have never used this technique on silver plated pieces, only pure sterling silver. It works great for cleaning silver flatware and tea services.) By the way, the girl in the video mentions "tin foil". (She must be from the South.) Aluminum foil is actually what you want to use. (Can you even get tin foil anymore??)

Getting ready to travel north

2011-09-08T15:05:00.000-04:00

Getting ready for our second live event in two months has surprisingly been a bit easier this time. I've got one show under my belt and the booth is essentially built and ready to go. So what could be different this time? Since the show is at the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show this time, and our headquarters in Gainesville, Florida is a good 1000 miles or so away, getting there will be the challenge this time.

In decided when and how I would get there came down to a few things:

Getting the art there. In order to drive up with the art, I would need to rent a cargo van or a large mini van. (Is there such a thing?) Otherwise, I could ship everything there ahead of time.
The time involved with getting there. To drive, it would be two days up and two days back driving. Flying would be faster, but more expensive?

Here's how it worked out:

I couldn't find a van large enough with unlimited mileage. By the time I rented the van, paid for the gas, and spent four days traveling (as opposed to two if I was driving), it was more cost effective to fly. Since I'm flying, I needed to find a way to get the art there.

That's where this thing comes in: I'm packing all the materials in a shipping crate and having them freighted up there ahead of time. Believe it or not, freighting the booth materials and art up and back PLUS a plane ticket is cheaper than driving.

Pastel artist included in exhibit

2011-09-07T14:50:00.000-04:00

Cow Art and More pastel artist, John Plishka will be exhibiting three paintings in the American Academy of Equine Art Fall Open Juried Exhibition. The Exhibition runs Sept. 2nd to October 16th at the Arts and Cultural Center in Georgetown, Kentucky. The artist reception is September 16th from 6pm until 9pm.

John is a graduate of the University of Illinois School of Veterinary Medicine and is a full-time veterinarian in Antioch, Illinois. Recently he has rekindled his passion for painting. As you would expect, the subjects he most often portrays are animals. “Being a veterinarian has helped me tremendously in my art. Having been through detailed anatomy of many species has been a huge advantage.” Horses are his favorite animal to paint by far. He also enjoys painting birds, especially raptors.

His award winning artwork has been on the cover of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and was featured in the American Academy of Equine Art 2009 Calendar. He won an honorable mention at the New Jersey Equine Artists’ Association: 2010 “The Art of the Horse” National Juried Exhibition. This year he exhibited in the 24th Annual International Exhibition on Animals in Art in Baton Rouge, La. He also stays busy with commissions.

Happy 3rd Birthday Cow Art and More

2011-09-06T14:25:00.011-04:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been 3 years that we have "officially" been in business. Cow Art and More launched online on September 1, 2008. While I wrote a business plan when preparing to open our doors, I don't think I could have guessed three years ago where we would be today (in a good way!). Just a few of our accomplishments I am most proud of:

We have shipped art to 4 continents. (Watch out penguins on Antarctica, we're coming for you next!)
While Cow Art and More included the art made by only half a dozen artists when it started, there is well made and handcrafted two and three dimensional art from over 25 artists today.
Our press coverage has been humbling to say the least. It means a lot when both magazines within the agriculture industry, as well as the mainstream, find our art something to talk about.
We had our first live event this year. While it took a little doing to pull it together, it was well worth it on many levels.

But, without a doubt, the thing that I am most proud of is the continued comments from our fans and customers that we have done everything to exceed your expectations. You have commended us on our art quality and excellent customer service. That means so much. Thank you. It is my promise that we will do everything in our power to continue to be the best place "where art and agriculture meet".

Thank you farmers - you deserve Labor Day off

2011-09-05T15:16:00.010-04:00

I normally post an agricultural website of interest to blog readers every Monday, but today, Labor Day, I wanted to thank the farming community for tending to their crops and animals every day. I know many of you will try to squeeze in a barbecue, or a maybe a long lunch while the kids are off from school today, but I have often thought that the people who truly deserve the day off still have to work on the Labor Day holiday. Your communities and your nation depend on you. Thank you for working on what is supposed to be your holiday.

How To Buy An Engagement Ring

2011-09-02T19:12:00.001-04:00

In case you didn't get enough information about buying diamond engagement rings last week, this video does a great job of summing everything up from start to finish.

Cow Art and More - as reported by our intern

2011-09-01T19:45:00.021-04:00

*This is a guest post written by our summer intern, M. Valentina Escobar-Gonzalez. Valentina has been our intern for the last 3 months and was asked to write a post about why she wanted to be our summer intern and what she has learned.*

How I Met Kathy

I had been following Kathy's tweets for several months and really enjoy her fun tweets on agriculture (AG), running her business "Cow Art and More", and social media (SM).
She is a spectacular woman since she is a Dairy veterinarian, gallery owner, jewelry artist, mother to three small toddlers, and she still manages to have an happy-go-lucky personality. In the end of spring, I tweeted to her about offering to do an (informal) internship where I could do social media marketing, press releases, and business consultation with the incentive give her more time to be with her boys and less on the computer doing SM. I have a hard time working for individuals who I don't respect or I'm not loyal to, but with a background and personality like Kathy's who can't be respectful and loyal to this amazing woman?

Her business was of particular interest to me since it involved AG, beautiful hand-made jewelry, and AG-related art. Art is not being my biggest strength but I enjoy challenges! She blogs often about art, so I have learned a bit about the subject since I have started. In addition, doing an internship with her seems to make sense since she lives nearby and in my old college town. A visit to meet with her is a perfect excuse to also enjoy my favorite pancakes near my Alma-Mater. I thought it was a good deal and so did she, yes!!! During our first in person meeting, I did some modeling for her resin collection and took videos of her office and product line. I really enjoyed spending time with her young boys, boy oh boy, they were a handful but very sweet. I didn't know little kids enjoyed the Food Network channel as much as I do. We were all glued to the TV watching Rachael Ray between takes.

What I've Learned

I have been very blessed and lucky to work with Kathy. I'm so glad she has opened her doors to me and has implemented some of my ideas to her company. I was surprised to learn my SM suggestions sometimes are pretty unique and often don't always get approval but I'm fortunate that I have her confidence and that she knows that I'm doing it with my best interest at heart. I learned that all of the time invested in SM does have a ROI, blogging adds credibility for her brand, and it is worth the hours invested and sacrificed weekly not spent with her sons.

I often wonder how she is able to sleep and still do it all? I have learned she is able to handle it all due to her love, dedication to the industry, endless amounts of coffee, and rock n'roll music obsession.

What we're working on now

2011-08-30T13:20:00.011-04:00

In addition to the day-to-day operations of Cow Art and More, I've always got a couple of "big" things I'm working on. Right now, there are two projects with top priority:

1. I'm in the process of adding two new artists and their art to Cow Art and More. I only interview artists twice yearly (January and July) and make decisions as to whether or not that artist and their art would be a good fit. Of the 8 artists I reviewed last month, I'm happy to say two look to be a good fit with both their art and their business style. I hope to have their art listed by the end of next week.

2. We have another live event coming up in less than a month at the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show! In some respects, this is a bit less stressful than the art booth we had at the National Holstein convention. Everything is built and I've made a few adjustments from our last event to help things run a bit smoother. (There are always a few hiccups along the way.) The biggest change is that I will be shipping the art up Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ahead of time in a shipping crate and will fly in for the show.

Once these two projects are out of the way, it's onto being ready for holiday shopping!

Monday's agriculture website - My American Farm

2011-08-29T14:31:00.000-04:00

Today's agricultural website to share with blog readers is for the Kansas Farm Bureau "My American Farm" page. "My American Farm" is an interactive page, providing the opportunity for students to learn about agriculture and educators to get projects to share with their students. Established in 1919, the mission of the non-profit Kansas Farm Bureau is to support farm families and their endeavors within agriculture.

Friday's art article - Choosing an Engagement Ring

2011-08-26T14:01:00.003-04:00

This great little article came up in my google alerts the other day. Lots of times, these articles are just a big sales pitch, but this one has some very useful information. It's even helpful if your considering ANY jewelry purchase.

Enjoy!

How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring

Teaching others to agvocate

2011-08-24T08:40:00.033-04:00

No, the title is not misspelled. It's a combination of two words "agriculture and advocate". When I'm not mom, cattle veterinarian, jewelry artist, food enthusiast and rock music blasting girl, I'm active in helping teach others how to "agvocate" through social media as a part of the Agchat Foundation. I was in Nashville, Tennessee earlier this week, along with others involved in agriculture, to teach and learn how to more effectively use social media to connect farmers and consumers. A diverse group of farmers and agriculture business professionals were in attendance, which allowed for even more opportunities for networking and shared learning.

MANY thanks to The Tennessean for capturing a video of the event showing their readers that connecting with a farmer is only as far away as your twitter account. You're also invited to view pictures from two other agvocates in attendance: John Blue of Truffle Media (@trufflemedia) and Agwired's Chuck Zimmerman (@agwired). If you would like to learn more about why people would want to attend our annual conference, please read the blog post on the Agchat Foundation site by farmer Jan Hoadley (@slowmoneyfarm) who attended our first conference in 2010 and was invited to be a speaker this year.

Cow Art and More Aug e-news

2011-08-23T13:58:00.000-04:00

Missed the August edition of the Cow Art and More e-news in your inbox? No worries, we've got a copy right here. Get caught up on our newest art, art care tips, and a do-it-yourself art project.

Friday's art article: Art Copyright laws

2011-08-19T18:06:00.005-04:00

*This is a repost of a blog entry from earlier this year.*

I have received several questions from customers pertaining to what they can do with the images displayed on Cow Art and More. These situations are specifically governed by copyright laws. I will go through a few of the situations here and explain what customers can and cannot do.

The moment someone creates anything "artful", the only person legally allowed to makes copies of that artwork is the original creating artist. If the artist decides to make copies (e.g. prints, multiple sculptures, etc.), he or she can. If anyone else does, without written permission from the creating artist, this is a copyright infringement. The artist has the legal right to take the offending party to court and sue for damages. In fact, copyright laws are so strong that family or legal heirs will still own the copyright to the artist's artwork until 70 years after his or her death.

Artists that display their work online or allow their art to be published in books or magazines often put a copyright symbol (letter c encased in a circle) next to the image. Just because the symbol isn't there doesn't mean you can copy the work; copyright is automatically implied when the art is created. The symbol is there as a reminder.

Art collectors should be aware that even after buying an original work of art, the artist still holds the copyright. This is what allows the artist to sell prints of the work. The buyer cannot make prints or sell copies of the art unless the artist has given express permission in writing. If you as the collector want to buy a piece of art, without giving the artist the right to make reproductions, please make this clear up front. If this is an artist that makes prints of their work, it is likely the artist will want to do so for that original piece. If you as the buyer want to also own the copyright, I would also suggest getting this fact in writing since the laws are written in the artist's favor.

There are three areas where I see art collectors fall into problems when it comes to copyrights and art work.

You cannot use an artist's image for anything without their explicit consent. This includes using an image of the artwork to represent your business or organization. This is still the case even if you have purchased a copy of the artwork.
You cannot download a copy of the artwork to use as a screen saver, t-shirt logo, avatar on your Facebook page, or other assorted activities without written consent from the artist. Even though you are using it for your own behalf, with no plans to resell, it is still considered "stealing" unless the artist has consented.
This next area is a bit more fuzzy, but you cannot post a copy of the artwork on your own website, blog, facebook page, etc. without consent of the artist. Generally, if the artwork is identified with the creating artist, copyright symbol, and even a title and date created, problems can be averted. But without that identification, problems usually arise. Many artists like to have the publicity, so an email is usually all it takes to avoid problems. Nowadays with social media sharing buttons, I would suggest using one of them to "share" the artwork with others.

In general, the few copyright problems we have had to deal with have not been malicious in any way. People were just unaware of the laws and were happy to comply with our request once we asked not to use it in the manner they were.

My advice: when in doubt, ask. If you've made a mistake, rectify it. If you're caught, be honest.

A few facts about the Cow Art and More artists

2011-08-18T14:22:00.000-04:00

I work with an amazing and diverse group of artists. Here's a few factoids that maybe you didn't know them:

We have two artists from outside the United States: watercolor artist Donna Greenstein (from Canada) and digital artist Michael Murray (from Glasgow, UK)
Pencil drawing artist Laurie Winkelman will be the judge of the junior Brown Swiss show at this year's Pennsylvania All American Dairy Show. Laurie is also a Ph.D. dairy cattle nutritionist.
Three of our artists also have their own graphic design firms: photographer Kent Weakley, painter Robert Saueressig and mixed media artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson
Airbrush painter Jerry Gadamus is considered to be one of the two foremost airbrush painters in the world.
When pencil drawing artist Amanda Raithel isn't working on her next piece of art, she is working cattle on an Angus ranch in Nebraska with her husband and daughter.
I am not the only veterinarian with art on Cow Art and More. Painters Jon Plishka and Lynn Bishop also have doctor of veterinary medicine degrees.
Pastel artist Carolyn Molder's recent work, 'Holstein and Fence', now hangs in the office of the Virginia State Veterinarian.
Oil painter Deborah Grayson Lincoln belongs to the 'daily painters' group, where each artist member commits to finishing one oil painting every day.
Mixed media artist Jon Ellis has had his art included on the covers of Time and National Geographic.
Pencil and pastel artist Gary Sauder grew up showing cattle and received numerous showmanship awards.
Stained glass artists Mike and Mary Ellen McIntyre had one of their stained glass pieces selected as the art for the official poster for the Gainesville Florida Downtown Festival and Art show for 2011. (picture at right)
Painters Wendy Marquis and Shannon Grissom each have a twin. Wendy has a twin brother and Shannon has a twin sister.
Painter Valerie D'Ortona is active on educating people on the importance of becoming organ donors.
Watercolor artist Jo Lynch is busy creating animals paintings for the new neonatal wing at Tampa (Florida) General Hospital.

Of course I work with several more artists, but this was all I could remember off the top of my head. Wow! Many thanks to all the artists who are part of the Cow Art and More gallery. If you want to learn more about the artists (or even see what they look like), check out the Cow Art and More artists page.

Cow Art and More to attend the PA All-American Dairy Show next month

2011-08-17T14:18:00.000-04:00

Cow Art and More will attend the 48th annual All-American Dairy Show September 17-19th in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Last year’s All-American Dairy Show included over 2,400 animals with 925 exhibits from 26 states along with Canada.

Gallery owner, Kathy Swift, is excited to be invited to participate in this premier event in the dairy industry. She adds, “We’re excited to showcase our art for the first time in the northeast. We’ve been expanding our art offerings and look forward to having it on display.” This event gives her audience an opportunity to view her latest charm, a milk bottle that she debuted earlier in the summer at the Holstein Convention in Virginia.

Cow Art and More booth will display a demo art gallery that includes handpicked art selection from various artists including ceramics, paintings, photography, handbags, and novelties. Visit Cow Art and More as an exhibitor in the trade show area and experience where “art and agriculture meet.”

For information about All-American Dairy Show, visit http://www.allamerican.state.pa.us/

Commonly asked questions at Cow Art and More

2011-08-16T11:24:00.000-04:00

I love getting questions about our art and how things work here. Our customers have inquisitive minds! I wanted to take a moment and answer the most commonly asked questions:

Some of the artwork has writing over the picture. What's up with that?

Since art is copyrighted by the creating artist, many artists will "watermark" their art with their name, business name, or logo to prevent people from using the art without purchase. This watermark is not on the art itself of any prints of the art.

Original, giclee, lithograph, art print, limited edition. Aargh! What's the difference between all of them?

An original, means just that. It's an original piece of art. The artist can choose whether or not to make prints from the original.

Giclee and lithograph mostly refer to the printing methods, which involve a specific way of using ink (giclees 'spray' color whereas lithographs use plates to place color). An art print generally just refers to the process of print making, although usually refers to print reproductions on paper. They also tend to be lower cost as compared to canvas prints.

Limited edition means only so many are created. The artist decides how many prints there are, but generally not more than 500 of any one design. Limited edition artworks may also be signed and numbered. This is in contrast to an open edition, where as many prints as desired are created. These art pieces are not signed by the artist.

(Want more information? Read the recent blog post on Common Art Terms Defined.)

I wish you had more art work of _____________ (insert your favorite breed of cattle here).

I absolutely agree with you. I wish we had multiple artists who created art of every cattle breed that has ever existed. A few reasons why we don't:

1. Art quality is first and foremost. Without a doubt, I have to be sure the art is high quality before I include it for sale on Cow Art and More. It has to be well made and be able to last for many years. This means the artist must use quality paints, papers, canvases, metals, glass, etc. I also need to know the artist constructed the art using good techniques. It doesn't matter how beautiful a piece of art is if it's going to degrade or fall apart in a matter of weeks to months to years.

2. Artists selling their art on Cow Art and More must also be very well business minded. In addition to selling quality art, customer service is key. Since much of our art ships directly from the creating artist, I need to know he/she will carefully package and ship the art in a timely fashion to a customer.

These two reasons alone narrow the field of potential artists. I would say Cow Art and More generally only accepts 1 in 8 to 10 artists where a discussion has started.

3. Certain breeds of cattle, (like Holsteins and Angus) are better recognized by the general public. Not only is there a larger market for their art, there are also more artists creating art of those breeds. Our customer base outside the agriculture community has a preference for these breeds as well. The lesser known cattle breeds (like Dexters and Guernseys) just don't get the credit they deserve. *frown*

However, all that being said, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for high quality art of all cattle breeds.

I live overseas. Why can't I place an order on your website?

The way the shopping cart on our website is designed, it's "all or none". For example, we can't specify that we only ship jewelry or art purchases less than $50 outside the U.S. Since there are issues with shipping large and/or valuable items overseas (duty taxes, insurance, and time to receive just to name a few), it's easier for all involved to take everything on a case by case basis as to avoid surprises and headaches down the road. If interested parties email us (info@cowartandmore.com), I can email you back shipping options and invoice you through Paypal for your payment.

What else would you like to know?

Monday's agriculture website - Farmer Bloggers

2011-08-15T15:28:00.003-04:00

Have you ever wondered what happens on the farm? Do you want to know how the milk gets from the cow to you? What does a rancher ride the prairie for? If you've ever wondered about this or other farm and food questions, head over to the Farmers Blog, a collection of farmer blogs in "one stop shop" setting.

The group of blogs consists of several farms and ranches from the California Valleys and Mountains to the Midwest plains and south to Florida! There are organic, conventional, large, small, grain, produce, livestock operations and more. Click here to see a complete list of the farmers and their backgrounds.

Common mistakes when buying jewelry for a gift

2011-08-12T14:31:00.008-04:00

Part of making jewelry and interacting with customers also means that I have learned the do's and don'ts of buying jewelry for a gift. These are the top 5 "blunders" I've seen people make when buying jewelry and my advice on how to prevent them.

1. Not knowing the details. I have actually had men buy earrings for a gift and not know if the woman had pierced ears. Wow! Major gamble! Find out as much information about your lady as possible. A good start is to find out a ring size, bracelet size, preferred length of necklaces, color preferences, metal preferences and any allergies.

2. Getting her something she doesn't have. This is only a good thing if you have heard her say that she wants a ".....". For example, if she doesn't own any bracelets, there may be a good reason why. Maybe she has a job where it gets in the way or she would have to take it off frequently. Take a quick inventory of her jewelry and get an idea of what she prefers or take notes the next time you are window shopping together.

3. Not considering the "what ifs". Is your jewelry purchase sizable? Can you return or exchange it if she doesn't like it? What if she likes the pendant but wants a different chain? Understand the exchange and return policy on the jewelry BEFORE you purchase it.

4. Buying something that doesn't go with her body type. Believe it or not, how a piece of jewelry is shaped or formed impacts how it looks on a person. For example, round earrings do not look good on a woman with a round face. A small pendant on a short chain isn't particularly flattering to a curvaceous woman with a large bustline. When you're buying the piece, get the person helping you to give suggestions or even the model the jewelry if necessary to help with the decision making process.

5. Buying something that doesn't go with her style. Buy her something she will wear! If she doesn't go to a lot of fancy occasions, she may not get a lot of wear from a big, fancy cocktail ring. Inexpensive earrings may be a better fit for daily wear. If she does a lot of work with her hands, a ring may not hold up to her rough schedule, but a necklace might fit the bill.

I am always happy to help shoppers with their gift purchases! There is also a group of articles on the Cow Art and More art resources page that art collectors, enthusiasts and jewelry collectors may also find helpful.

What is a typical day like at Cow Art and More?

2011-08-11T13:55:00.000-04:00

The first thing, is that there is never anything typical about running an art gallery (or any other business for that matter). Certain days of the week have certain patterns, but I'm glad there is always a bit of flexibility in what I can do.

Regardless of the day of the week and whatever is scheduled, the first thing I focus on every morning is taking care of orders that need to be filled. If an order is being filled from Cow Art and More headquarters, I make every effort possible for it to ship the same day and mail those orders off early. I also check orders in the middle of the day, if I'm in the office, and try to fill them in time to catch a late pickup at the post office. (There is a drop station close to me that picks up mid-morning and late afternoon.) If a package doesn't ship the same day the order it is received, it will go out the next business day. (We ship 6 days a week.) If a customer has placed an order for art that ships directly from the artist, I make sure the artist has received the order and is set to ship.

Generally, I have at least one day a week that I call and office day. On this day, I usually write blog posts for the week, list new art, update the website, correspond with artists (current and potential), pay bills and take care of other tasks from the last few days that need addressing. I also do some planning for advertising, mailings (postal and electronic) and our printed catalog.

If it's a day that I have veterinary work scheduled, I get up an hour earlier to give me time to get through my emails. First priority goes to filling orders from overnight and second priority goes to taking care of urgent emails. Otherwise, other important emails might have to sit until I have another office day to go through them.

In case you're interested, these are a few of my favorite products I use here in the office that help me remain productive and provide excellent customer service:

Endicia internet postage. I can buy the postage online, weigh packages and envelopes in my office and print out the appropriate amount all from my own computer. All I have to do then is drop items in a postal box. (I also do something similar for my FedEx and UPS packages too.)
Grasshopper toll free phone number. It's an inexpensive way for me to have a toll free number for customers to call.
Paypal. Not only does Paypal handle all our online transactions processed through cowartandmore.com, but I can also invoice people directly for their purchases. (I have to do it this way for international purchases since the default for our shopping cart system does not allow purchases outside the United States.)
Having a really good assistant. Unfortunately, my assistant graduated college back in May, and I have yet to find a suitable replacement. I'm hopeful that when school starts again in a couple of weeks, I will find another good one.
Shelves and bins. Part of running the Cow Art and More office is storing the art we sell (including the jewelry). Being organized is absolutely essential. Trips to home improvement stores are on an as needed basis to get whatever I need to make this happen.

What else would you like to know? Was this what you were expecting?

Packaging cow jewelry orders - Cow Art and More

2011-08-10T13:40:00.000-04:00

So you're thinking about ordering some farm jewelry? Curious as to how it's packaged and gets to you? This two minute video shows you how cow jewelry is carefully handled and sent to recipients.

What happens when I place an order for cow art?

2011-08-09T13:54:00.000-04:00

Is this like a huge warehouse with conveyors and fork lifts, or is it in someone's basement with little minions running around?

Somewhere in between in probably how I would describe it.

When you place an order online, the shopping cart system generates a message that there is a order to fill, along with the details of the order (items ordered, contact information, shipping address). If you call to place an order or fax us an order, it gets entered into our computer system and the same message is generated. A copy of the order gets sent to the person or business filling the order. Why does this happen? Because Cow Art and More does not maintain an inventory of all the art we sell.

What? I'm calling to order an art print and you don't even have it there? What's up with that?

The number one reason we have a limited in-house inventory is to keep our costs lower. Maintaining an inventory of all the art we sell would mean having a larger office space and hiring a larger staff to maintain the inventory. Since we have a smaller amount of art to maintain at headquarters, Cow Art and More is able to sell art at a lower price than you would expect to find in a brick and mortar gallery. Approximately one-third of the art is maintained here, while the other two thirds is kept by the creating artists in their studio. (Since the art would have to be shipped out to Cow Art and More AND shipped out to a customer, why not only ship it once?)

The other useful feature of our system is that when an order is received, the shopping cart system automatically generates an email to the creating artist that an order needs to be filled, without headquarters needing to be involved. This allows the customer to get the fastest service possible. Customers can expect to have their orders shipped within two business days unless notified otherwise. (Some of our art gets created when ordered. It's another way for us to keep costs down and pass those savings along to customers.) If your order is coming directly from Cow Art and More's office in Florida, you will receive an email with the package tracking number when your order ships. (Orders ship via postal mail unless you're notified otherwise.)

If you ever have any concerns about how your order is handled, time frame to receive, packaging questions, (or anything else for that matter), drop an email to info@cowartandmore.com. What other shipping questions or concerns do you have?

Monday's agriculture website - Gourmet Sleuth

2011-08-08T13:47:00.001-04:00

Ever wanted to try your hand at cheese making? The website the Gourmet Sleuth has several cheesemaking recipes. In addition to recipes for hard cheeses, such as cheddar, and soft cheeses, such as blue, it also lists recipes for yogurt and sour cream.

The goal of the Gourmet Sleuth is to help inform and educate people interested in food, cooking and eating. The company's staff writes culinary articles on various foods and cooking topics and publishes recipes that take a "how to" approach.

The site also has a store of "novelty" and hard to find kitchen items and products in addition to maintaining a huge database of food and beverage related sites. The Gourmet Sleuth staff also provides research on food and cooking product related questions for readers.

Friday's art article - Common art terms defined

2011-08-05T13:44:00.129-04:00

There's a lot of terminology within the art community. I've taken a few of the more common terms you will find on Cow Art and More and defined them here:

Acrylic paint: a fast-drying synthetic paint made from acrylic resin. Acrylic is a fast-drying water-based "plastic" paint valued for its versatility and clean up with soap and water.

Airbrush painting: A technique where an airbrush is used. An airbrush is a small, air-operated tool that sprays various media including ink and dye, but most often paint by a process of nebulization.

Alla prima: the method of oil painting in which the desired effects of the final painting are achieved in the first application of paint as opposed to the technique of covering the canvas in layers with the final painting being achieved at the end.

Art: the completed work of an artist which is the expression of creativity or imagination

Artist: a practitioner in the arts

Brush: a tool used to apply paints and inks to a surface, consisting of hairs, or bristles held in place by a ferrule attached to a handle. The quality of the hair determines the brush’s quality and cost. Each type of brush has a specific purpose, and different fibers are used for different mediums.

Brushstroke: The mark left by a loaded (filled) brush on a surface. Brushstrokes can be distinguished by their direction, thickness, texture, and quality. Some artists purposefully obscure individual brushstrokes to achieve a smooth surface. Other artists make their brushstrokes obvious to reveal the process of painting or to express movement or emotion.

Brushwork: the distinctive technique in which an artist uses to apply paint with a brush onto a medium, such as canvas.

Canvas: a heavy, closely woven fabric; an oil painting on canvas fabric; the support used for an acrylic or oil painting that is typically made of linen or cotton, stretched very tightly and tacked onto a wooden frame. Linen is considered far superior to the heavy cotton for a canvas.

Ceramics: the art of making objects of clay and firing them in a kiln. Wares of earthenware and porcelain, as well as sculpture are made by ceramists. Enamel is also a ceramic technique. Ceramic materials may be decorated with slip, engobe, or glaze, applied by a number of techniques.

Charcoal: Compressed burned wood used for drawing.

Collage: the technique of creating a work of art by adhering flat articles such as paper, fabrics, string or other materials to a flat surface such as a canvas whereby a three-dimensional result is achieved.

Color: a visual attribute of things that results from the light they emit or transmit or reflect; the visual response to the wavelengths of light, identified as red, blue, green, etc.; primary and secondary colors; warm, cool, and neutral colors, color value; hue; and intensity.

Composition: the arrangement of the design elements within the design area; the ordering of visual and emotional experience to give unity and consistency to a work of art and to allow the observer to comprehend its meaning.

Computer graphics: refers to visual images made with the assistance of computers. Computer graphics are often made with software called drawing, painting, illustrating and photographic programs or applications.

Decorative arts: collective term for such art forms as ceramics, enamels, furniture, glass, ivory, metalwork and textiles, especially when they take forms used as interior decoration.

Decoupage: the Victorian craft of cutting out motifs from paper gluing them to a surface and covering with as many layers of varnish as is required to give a completely smooth finish.

Design: the arrangement of the design elements to create a single effect. The organization or composition of a work; the skilled arrangement of its parts. An effective design is one in which the elements of art and principles of design have been combined to achieve an overall sense of unity.

Drawing: the act of representing an image on a surface by means of adding lines and shades, as with a pencil, crayon, pen, chalk, pastels, etc. Also refers to an illustration that has been drawn by hand.

Easel: an upright support (generally a tripod) used for displaying something. It is most often used to hold up an artist's canvas while the painter is working or to hold a completed painting for exhibition.

Egg tempera: A medium created by mixing pure, ground pigments with egg yolk. This was a very common medium before the invention of oil paints.

Elements of design: those qualities of a design that can be seen and worked with independently of its figurative content. They include line, form, value, texture, color, and shape.

En plein air: French for "in open air," used to describe paintings that have been executed outdoors, rather than in the studio.

Exhibition - A public showing of a piece or a collection of objects. Also called an exhibit.

Fine art: art created for purely aesthetic expression, communication, or contemplation.

Foam core: a strong, stiff, resilient, and lightweight board of polystyrene laminated with paper on both of its sides used as backing for art prints before framing. Also referred to as "foam board".

Frame: something made to enclose a picture or a mirror; enclose in a frame, as of a picture.

Fresco: The technique of blending wet plaster with water based paint. As the plaster dries it becomes a lasting surface base. The term applies to the technique as well as the painting itself.

Gallery: a room or series of rooms where works of art are exhibited.

Giclee: (pronounced "zee-clay") a printmaking process usually on an IRIS inkjet printer to make reproductions of a photograph of a painting; the printer can produce a very wide range of colors resulting in prints that are of very high quality.

Glaze: a thin layer of translucent acrylic or oil paint applied to all or part of a painting, to modify the tone or color underneath. Glazing is the process of using this technique.

Gold: A yellow precious metal, the chemical element of atomic number 79; comes as white or yellow. 24 karat gold is pure gold. 18 karat gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts other metal whereas 14 karat gold contains 14 parts gold and 10 parts other metals. White gold is created by alloying gold with another metal, usually nickel or palladium.

Gouache: a type of watercolor paint, made heavier and more opaque by the addition of a white pigment (chalk, Chinese white, etc.) in a gum arabic mixture. This results in a stronger color than ordinary watercolor.

Graphic art: two-dimensional art forms such as drawing, engraving, etching and illustration in their various forms.

Graphic design: the applied art of arranging image and text to communicate a message. It may be applied in any media, such as print, digital media, motion pictures, animation, product decoration, packaging, and signs.

Graphite: a soft, black, lustrous mineral made of carbon used in lead pencils, paints, crucibles, and as a lubricant.

Illustration board: heavy paper or card appropriate as a support for pencil, pen, watercolor, collage, etc.

Karat: system is used to reveal the amount of pure gold found in an item

Kiln: refers to an oven in which pottery or ceramic ware is fired.

Lacquer: a clear or colored finish material that dries to a hard, glossy finish. Usually applied with a sprayer, lacquer dries too quickly for smooth application with a brush, unless it is specially formulated.

Landscape: a painting, drawing or photograph which depicts outdoor scenery. They typically include trees, streams, buildings, crops, mountains, wildlife, rivers and forests.

Light table: refers to a table made especially for working with negatives, viewing transparencies and slides, and pasting up artwork, that has a translucent top with a light shining up through it.

Limited edition: a limit placed on the number of prints produced in a particular edition, in order to create a scarcity of the print. Limited editions are signed and numbered by the artist.

Linseed oil: the most popular drying oil used as paint medium. The medium hardens over several weeks as components of the oil polymerize to form an insoluble matrix. Driers can be added to accelerate this process.

Lithography: uses the principle that oil and water don't mix as the basis of the printing process; a method of printing using plates whose image areas attract ink and whose non image areas repel ink. Non image areas may be coated with water to repel the oily ink or may have a surface, such as silicon, that repels ink.

Masterpiece: a work done with extraordinary skill, especially a work of art, craft or intellect that is an exceptionally great achievement.

Medium: material or technique an artist works in; also, the component of paint in which the pigment is dispersed.

Mineral spirits: an inexpensive paint thinner which cleans brushes, thins paint, cleans furniture, and removes wax often used as a substitute for turpentine.

Mixed media: the art technique where an artist employs different types of physical materials such as ink and pastel or painting and collage etc. and combines them in a single work.

Montage: an artwork comprising of seemingly unrelated shots or scenes which, when combined of various existing images such as from photographs or prints and arranged so that they join, overlap or blend to create a new image which achieve meaning (as in, shot A and shot B together give rise to an third idea, which is then supported by shot C, and so on) (see illustration) .

Mosaic: an art medium in which small pieces of colored glass, stone, or ceramic tile called tessera are embedded in a background material such as plaster or mortar. Also, works made using this technique.

Mural: a large wall painting, often executed in fresco

Oil paint: a type of paint made from color particles( pigment) and linseed oil. Oil paint dries slowly, can be used thick or thin, and with glazes. Because it dries slowly, oil paint is easier to blend from dark to light creating the illusion of three-dimensions. Used by most artists since the Renaissance.

Original: the term 'original' can imply exclusivity or the idea that the work is 'one of a kind' rather than a copy by any method including offset-lithography, digital printing or by forgery.

Overpainting: the final layer of paint that is applied over the under painting or under layer after it has dried. The idea behind layers of painting is that the under painting is used to define the basic shapes and design so that the overpainting can be used to fill in the details of the piece.

Palette: A thin piece of glass, wood or other material, or pad of paper, which is used to hold the paint to be used in painting; also, the range of colors used by a particular painter.

Palette knife: a tool originally used by artists for scraping up and mixing the paint from the palette, this implement has been adopted for the application of heavily impacted paint which is spread thickly like butter

Palladium: chemical element of atomic number 46, a rare silvery-white metal resembling platinum; does not tarnish at ordinary temperatures and is used (alloyed with gold) in jewelry

Paper mâché: a technique for creating forms by mixing wet paper pulp with glue or paste. The form hardens as it dries, and becomes suitable for painting. Although paper mâché is a French word which literally means "chewed paper", it was originated by the Chinese - the inventors of paper.

Pastel: a crayon made from pigment mixed with gum and water and pressed into a stick-shaped form; a work of art created from pastels; a pale color.

Photorealism: a style of painting in which an image is created in such exact detail that it looks like a photograph; uses everyday subject matter, and often is larger than life.

Pigment: any coloring agent, made from natural or synthetic substances, used in paints or drawing materials; the substance in paint or anything that absorbs light, producing (reflecting) the same color as the pigment.

Plein air: French for "open air", referring to landscapes painted out of doors with the intention of catching the impression of the open air.

Portrait: a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person.

Principles of design: the basic aesthetic considerations that guide organization of a work of art. They include balance, movement, emphasis, contrast, proportion, space, and unity.

Printmaking: the process by which a work of art can be recreated in great quantity from a single image usually prepared from a plate.

Quill: a pen is made from a flight feather (preferably a primary) of a large bird, most often a goose. Quills were used as instruments for writing with ink before the metal dip pen, the fountain pen, and eventually the ball point pen came into use.

Rabbet: in art, the "L" cut all around the perimeter of the frame, against which glass, mat, or picture panels are installed (see illustration).

Reproduction: a copy of an original print or fine art piece. A reproduction could be in the form of a print, like an offset-lithographic print, or even reproduced in the same medium as the original, as in an oil painting.

Sculpture: any three-dimensional form created as an artistic expression. Sculpture is primarily concerned with space: occupying it, relating to it, and influencing the perception of it.

Sketch: a rough drawing used to capture the basic elements and structure of a situation often used as the basis for a more detailed work.

Stained glass: glass that has been colored or stained through different processes. This term is also used to refer to the art of cutting colored glass into different shapes and joining them together with lead strips to create a pictorial window design

Sterling silver: an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper.

Still life: a painting or other two-dimensional work of art representing inanimate objects such as bottles, fruit, and flowers. Also, the arrangement of these objects from which a drawing, painting, or other art work is made.

Stretcher: a wooden frame over which the canvas of a painting is stretched.

Texture: the tactile surface characteristics of a work of art that are either felt or perceived visually.

Three-dimensional: occupying or giving the illusion of three dimensions (height, width, depth).

Thumbnail sketch: crude, small pencil drawings used to develop the initial concept for a design.

Trompe l'oeil: French for "fool the eye." A two-dimensional representation that is so naturalistic that it looks actual or real (three-dimensional.) This form of painting was first used by the Romans thousands of years ago in frescoes and murals.

Turpentine: a high quality oil paint thinner and solvent.

Two-dimensional: having two dimensions (height and width); referring to something that is flat.

Underdrawing: preliminary drawing that lies under the final painted or inked image.

Underpainting: the preliminary coats of paint in a painting that render the basic outline before the final paint layers are added to complete the work.

Vignette: an image or painting where the borders are undefined and seem to fade away gradually until it blends into the background.

Wash: used in watercolor painting, brush drawing, and occasionally in oil painting to describe a broad thin layer of diluted pigment or ink. Also refers to a drawing made in this technique.

Watercolor: a water-based paint that is a translucent wash of pigment; a painting produced with watercolors.

Watermark: a watermark is a design embossed into a piece of paper during its production and used for identification of the paper and paper maker. The watermark can be seen when the paper is held up to light.

Wet-on-wet: a painting technique that is well-known as being the primary method of painting used by Bob Ross. Since lighter colors will usually mix with darker colors if laid over top of them while wet, the technique relies on painting from light colors up. This gives the painting a soft look, and allows the colors to be blended to the painter's desire.

Balancing a small art gallery with big business feel

2011-08-04T14:28:00.000-04:00

When coming up with the business plan for Cow Art and More, I wanted to make sure customers had the amenities the larger "box stores" offered, but wanted to be equally as sure that people could feel like they were getting more than "big box store" service.

A few of the "big items" that I included:

A toll free phone number and toll free fax number. It shouldn't cost you to contact us. Both of our phone lines have toll free options (or you can call us on our direct number as well)
An organized way to ship orders to customers and have them know about it. I can print postage in our office and forward package tracking numbers directly to the purchaser.
A small commercial space to conduct a little business. Since I have three small children, I usually work from home, but have rented a small space that serves some basic business needs like shipping and receiving and whenever I need to meet with someone.
A website that could provide customers with the "online experience" they had grown accustomed too. This included not only the ability to purchase cow art, but a website (that at least on my end), made the experience of managing and buying art from an art gallery easy. To be honest, this has been one of the biggest challenges. (more to come on this in a future blog post)
After being online for about 6 months, we added a print catalog to our repertoire. You might be thinking, 'Why am I just now hearing about this?'. Mostly because if you have high speed internet access, you already have access to our most expansive, up-to-date catalog. The print catalog is only done twice year and is intended for our customers that don't have internet access or don't have high speed internet access (Gasp! -- I can't imagine doing this on a dial up connection). The print catalog only highlights our best sellers is almost always out of date by the time it goes out since Cow Art and More is adding new art all the time.

So what do I do to keep things "real"?

Sometimes I answer the phone. Yeah, me. The owner, big enchilada, artist herself. I must admit that love hearing some of the customer reactions when they find out they're talking to the person in charge.
I make it a point to follow up with everyone who makes a purchase personally. It's not done by some email bot or autoresponder. I send everyone an email asking about their purchase and not only how satisfied they are with their art, but the entire purchase experience.
I include a small note of thanks with each art shipment that we handle from the home office. I am truly grateful that you find our art worthy of including in your collection or beautiful enough for a gift.
I write blog posts like this. I think art can be intimidating for some people, especially if you're not schooled in it. You don't have to be an expert to know what you like or don't like.
I am happy to have conversations with people through social media outlets like this blog, Facebook and Twitter. I talk about more than art, but enjoy having thoughtful conversations, even when the opinions are different than mine.
Don't tell anyone this, but I check email and make and take phone calls after hours. I am trying to balance being and artist and art gallery owner with being a mom and veterinarian and don't mind working when necessary to get everything done. So if you call, and the phone message says we're closed and you choose to leave a message, I will probably answer the phone if I'm in the office.

What else do you see that you would like? What else have you noticed that is missing from this list?

How Cow Art and More artists are selected

2011-08-03T14:28:00.000-04:00

*Another version of this post appeared on this blog in October 2010.*

One of the questions I get asked by the art and agriculture communities is how artists and their work are selected for inclusion on Cow Art and More. I would say only one in eight artists, where contact has been initiated by myself or the artist, end up exhibiting their art with Cow Art and More.

Why is that the case?

First, while Cow Art and More is not a traditional "brick and mortar" gallery, we still hold ourselves to the same top standards. We not are not like an Ebay or Etsy site where anyone can list their art. If an artist's work meets an initial appeal, I make a point to interview the artist.

I like to get to know the artists because we like to include ones who have a genuine interest in agriculture. More than half of our artists live on a farm and/or own livestock themselves. It is that understanding, we feel translates into the beauty of creating the art of farms and farm animals.

Once the artist has passed an interview, the work is reviewed by committee for its uniqueness and appeal to our customer base. We feel very strongly that the art must "add something" to the agricultural art portfolio we offer. That same art must also offer good value; it needs to be something the new owner will cherish for years to come.

If the committee finds that the artist is a good fit, an official invitation is extended. While there are a few artists that find they're unable to make a commitment to us at this point, the ones that do understand our business and the efforts we make in providing high quality art and excellent customer care.

How does a cattle veterinarian become a jewelry artist?

2011-08-02T15:47:00.025-04:00

It is a rather interesting combination isn't it? I love every minute of being both; veterinary medicine allows me to serve the agriculture community and the jewelry and art nurtures my creative side. So just how did all this get started? I am reposting a blog entry from October 2010 with a few additions in red type.

*This is reposted from October 2010.*

It's hard to believe this collection of cow art has been online for two years now! (Actually, it's almost 3 years now. Our official first day of business was September 1, 2008.) I have loved every minute of making art and connecting with cow art lovers worldwide. One question I continue to get asked, just how did this get started?

I decided to become a veterinarian when I was 11 or 12. (I promise, I will get to the question at hand.) (I really don't remember what precipitated that decision, but I remember being a young girl and decided that was what I was going to do.) Once I made that decision, I knew I had to do everything possible to get into veterinary school. This meant taking lots of science based classes and other academic classes to get me into college. While I took art classes in high school here and there, they just didn't fit into the schedule to take as many as I would have liked.

I went on to college, still with a love of art, but still with a desire to go to veterinary school. Veterinary colleges spell out very clearly what it takes to apply. Unfortunately art classes aren't a prerequisite. While I took a few arts and humanities classes in college, I didn't get to fully investigate any potential art talents. In fact, I didn't do any art activities in college. Looking back, I wish I had done some of that.

The hard work and dedication paid off. I was accepted to veterinary school and headed off with zeal. This time, there was not even the option of taking art classes. (imagine that -- although I insisted on using colored pencils to draw what I was learning in histology class) I continued to explore art museums when I had the chance, but veterinary studies still took priority.

When I graduated veterinary school, I took my first job as a cattle veterinarian and moved to Florida. While I wasn't crazy about living in Florida, I did love that art and culture seem to be the "norm" here. In the spring and fall, there are regular art festivals and within the city of Gainesville, (where the University of Florida is and where I live now), visual and performing arts are just a way of life. Call it karma, call it destiny, call it fate or call it pure dumb luck, but I know if I hadn't moved to Florida, things wouldn't have turned out the way the have. (I can't remember why I took this cow's picture, but I suspect it was because she had quite the special head wrap from her favorite veterinarian. Thinking now it must have had something to do with a dehorn job if things were bleeding enough to warrant a head bandage. Anyway, it's an example of what I do as a cattle vet.)

It was in the summer of 2001 that, at a friend's barbecue (in fact, another large animal veterinarian), I met a well known local jewelry artist. She explained that she was teaching a beginner level metalsmithing class in a couple of weeks and suggested I take it. I did and I was instantly hooked. That was the beginning. Actually, too, that was the beginning of a great friendship as well. The jewelry artist, whose name is Susan, has been incredibly giving with her time and knowledge. I will forever be grateful for inspiring my artistic talents.

That year for Christmas, I made jewelry gifts for close family and friends. It was after a friend of my mom's saw the necklace she was wearing and asked if I could make her one too that I made my first sale. I continued to take a few classes from my original teacher. She was impressed with my skills and encouraged me to apply for art shows. I chose a small local show, applied, and was accepted. (I think my reaction was, "OMG, they accepted me??!!?? Now what do I do?") That was October 2002.

In the summer of 2003, I had the opportunity to study at the Penland School of Craft. Now you might think as someone who might be considered "intelligent" would have a huge advantage. Yeah...not so. I joked that I was the class moron. Everyone else in the class was in some stages of an art degree, not to mention the first person I met in the class that day had just finished a huge sculpture for the city of Rochester, New York. Somehow when the others asked if I had been published, I don't think they meant the articles I co-authored in the Society for Theriogenology journal.

Okay, maybe this isn't going to work, I thought. But once again, call it fate, karma, destiny or pure dumb luck, the teacher of the class (who was a replacement for the original teacher who had been in an accident), was a gifted jewelry artist who's father was what else? A veterinarian! The teacher and I hit if off in a big way, and I was pretty lucky to get the equivalent of a bachelor of fine arts degree crash course in two weeks. After that is when things really started clicking for me.

While I was making jewelry during this time, it was much more "artsy". My agriculture friends asked if I made cow jewelry. I simply looked at them like they had 3 eyes and replied, "No." As much as I love cows, I really didn't want to make jewelry of them. Veterinary medicine doesn't leave much room for creativity and I really wanted to do something different when I was in the studio. As I realize now, though, I just hadn't found the right idea yet. (The pendant at left is from 2004. It is a pin/pendant of chrysocolla, sterling silver and bronze.)

My farm friends continued to pester me about making a line of farm jewelry. It wasn't that it was a bad idea, I just wanted something extra special. I wanted something very unique and classy, but most of all realistic. While attending a local veterinary meeting in the fall of 2007, I saw someone selling charm jewelry pieces of cats and dogs. (It was more like, "What are all those people doing in that booth?" It was so crammed full of people that it took me a couple of minutes to get to the counter to see that it was cat and dog jewelry. Oh yeah -- major light bulb moment.) It was then that the idea of the cow jewelry came to me. After doing a little visual research on the internet, I realized I had some unique ideas to make realistic farm jewelry. I knew my experience within agriculture would allow me to make cow jewelry that not only I found to be realistic, but agriculture enthusiasts would too.

Along the way of my jewelry career, I also met other artists who had a fascination with cows and created art representing them. I thought it would be great to include them in my venture as well. The planning for Cow Art and More began in the spring of 2008. I began production of the charms and recruited other artists to become a part of my "family". I officially launched Cow Art and More on September 1, 2008, with a few charms and a handful of artists. I now represent over 25 cow art artists and have 7 charms, with 3 more to launch any day now. (Left is my rosette charm, shown in 18 K yellow gold).

I'm very enthusiastic about the future of Cow Art and More. I was excited to be asked to sell cow art at the 2011 National Holstein Convention and honored to have coordinated the unique stained glass trophies given last month at the All American Red and White Holstein show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is quite satisfying knowing that the beauty of agricultural art can bring joy to people's daily lives.

Isn't it great how things work out? I never would have guessed in a million years this is where things would be.

What did I miss that you're still wanting to know more about?

Monday's agriculture website - Aquaculture

2011-08-01T15:54:00.008-04:00

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get started in fish farming? The Indiana Soybean Alliance has a website that shows exactly what it takes to get started in aquaculture. The site contains business resources that begin with planning and mapping out pre-production needs, all the way through to processing and marketing the finished product. The site even discusses the different species of fish used in aquaculture and some of the regulations involved.

Friday's Art article - DIY Frame for Posters and Art

2011-07-29T14:26:00.002-04:00

If you're a bit crafty and have access to some power tools, you can make a unique, handcrafted frame for your two-dimensional art.

Mixed Media Collage artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson

2011-07-28T12:39:00.000-04:00

Want to learn more about Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson and how she creates her "paper paintings"? Watch this recent interview where Elizabeth shares some of her techniques and inspirations for her three-dimensional, mixed media collages.

50 Ways To Ditch Your Inner Critic

2011-07-27T12:12:00.000-04:00

Today's video post from Cow Art and More oil painter Shannon Grissom gives advice for artists and art enthusiasts. Watch her short, energetic video on how to deal with your inner critic!

The Summer Art of Robert Duncan

2011-07-26T12:45:00.001-04:00

Did you know that in addition to his beautiful cattle paintings, Robert Duncan does portraits of people as well? Enjoy a slide show of some of his cow artwork along with his paintings of people enjoying the outdoors.

Monday's agriculture video - Photographing Agriculture

2011-07-25T12:32:00.000-04:00

No, you're not imagining things; today's agriculture website is a video. Ever think about America's farmers being art in of themselves? This video shows how a photographer set out to do just that.

Friday's art article - Patching Holes in the Wall for Picture Hanging

2011-07-22T12:14:00.000-04:00

So what happens when you decide to take a picture down and you're left a hole in your wall? This two minute video will show you how to patch the hole and repair it to match the surrounding area.

Photography by Kent Weakley

2011-07-21T12:36:00.000-04:00

Infrared photographer Kent Weakley participates in a few art shows near his Ocala, Florida, home. Watch a brief video on what Kent's art looks like in person at a recent fall art festival.

July new art, news and a DIY art project

2011-07-20T12:21:00.000-04:00

We have extended our focus this month on video selections to our monthly e-news as well! Take a video tour of our office or watch how to make your own paper bracelet. You can also catch up with our new art listings. Click here to read the Cow Art and More July e-news.

Painter Julia Swartz and her art gallery

2011-07-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

Did you know that Cow Art and More painter Julia Swartz has her own art gallery? Julia's gallery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was recently featured on a virtual tour. Watch the video here:

Monday's agricultural website - Canning and preserving fruits and vegetables

2011-07-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

Ah, summer! Who doesn't love that fresh from that garden taste of the many fruits and vegetables ripe during this time of year? While I helped my family can and freeze vegetables when I was younger, I had forgotten much of the correct techniques and procedures. Today's agriculture website is a great resource to help fill in the blanks. Pick Your Own is a great resource for canning vegetables and making jams and jellies. There are even printable PDF's as references. The website also has some useful search features to help you find farms in your area.

Friday's art article - How to Drill Holes into a Picture Frame

2011-07-15T12:28:00.003-04:00

Have a picture frame that needs to have hanging hardware attached? No problem! This two minute video should help you hang your frame in no time!

Super Cow Sequel by Robin Maria Pedrero

2011-07-14T12:42:00.000-04:00

As a follow up to Robin Maria Pedrero's Super Cow from earlier this week, enjoy Max's next adventure in the Super Cow sequel.

Gallery founder and jewelry artist Kathy Swift donates a portion of jewelry charm sales to charity

2011-07-13T12:31:00.000-04:00

Cattle veterinarian, artist, and gallery owner of Cow Art and More, Dr. Kathy Swift donates a portion of sales of her new jewelry charm for the National Holstein Women’s Scholarship Organization (NHWSO) at 2011 National Holstein Association Convention held in Richmond, Virginia, last month.

Swift is personally interested in assisting the NHWSO since she was a recipient of the association’s scholarship in 1990.She grew up in Virginia on her family’s registered Holstein farm and as a teenager, earned a Distinguished Junior Holstein Member Finalist award.

Ida Ruby, president of NHWSO, contacted Swift for assistance in fundraising for their scholarship fund. Swift has been supportive in the past, donating jewelry and gift certificates to the NHWSO silent auction, held annually at the Holstein convention. Swift agreed to donate a portion of the sales on the much anticipated new charm, a milk bottle, which debuted at this year’s convention.

Ruby said “Kathy's contribution of the charm and future sales of the charm made our 2011 silent auction a HUGE success. This is our main fundraiser. This year we had 20 applicants apply for our scholarship. We were able to award six $1,500 scholarships! Thanks to Kathy and Cow Art and More.”

In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds of all charm sales, Swift donated the first charm off the production line, which sold for $290 in the silent auction.It was initialed by Swift and came with a letter of authenticity. “Normally, I keep the first one off the line for myself, but I knew it would be special to include it in the NHWSO silent auction,” states Swift.“I am very happy with the money it helped to raise.”

Swift’s avid fan base will now have the chance to purchase the milk bottle charm online or by phone.In addition, fans have the ability to sign up for email notifications on newly added hand-picked selections, tips on art care, and trends for this summer from Swift personally.

Swift adds, “I believe strongly in helping the next generation along with their many endeavors. I know, without a doubt, that I wouldn't be where I am today without the same help."

About Dr. Kathy Swift and Cow Art and More

Cow Art and More is the art gallery where “art and agriculture meet.” The gallery website includes handpicked art selections from more than 25 artists including ceramics, paintings, jewelry, photography, glass and much more. Cow Art and More insists on providing personalized customer service including timely order shipment and a money back guarantee.

Dr. Swift obtained her Dairy Science degree from Virginia Tech and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University. She currently practices in Florida.In addition to her art and veterinary careers, she focuses on her job as mother to three young children. For more information on Swift and her art, visit the Cow Art and More About Us page.

Super Cow by Robin Maria Pedrero

2011-07-12T12:39:00.001-04:00

Curious as to what happens when small dog meets big cow? Enjoy this video of Robin's dog Max meeting some of her cow paintings at a recent art exhibition in Orlando, Florida. (Check back here this week as there is a part 2!)

Monday's agriculture website - July is ice cream month

2011-07-11T12:25:00.000-04:00

In honor of July being national ice cream month, today's agricultural website of interest is Ice Cream Recipes. The designation of ice cream month was started in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan. Estimates are that approximately 90 percent of the United States population consumes ice cream. In addition to recipes, this website contains ice cream facts and answers to frequently asked questions.

Friday's art article - How to Hang a Picture - How to Hang Pictures with a Wire Hanger

2011-07-08T12:57:00.000-04:00

Enjoy this two minute video on how to hang a wired picture or painting on your wall.

Packaging cow jewelry orders - Cow Art and More

2011-07-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

Wonder what happens when you place an order for cow and cowgirl jewelry on Cow art and More? This short video shows you exactly how your order is carefully packaged and shipped to you!

Mixed media collage - start to finish

2011-07-06T12:34:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what it takes for mixed media artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson to create her one-of-a-kind collages? Enjoy this video that shows one of her peacocks starting as a drawing and progressing through Elizabeth adding all the unique papers.

Cowboys, Cowgirls and Cows...oh my!

2011-07-05T12:36:00.003-04:00

Enjoy a video montage of the oil paintings of California artist Shannon Grissom.

Farming and our Founding Fathers

2011-07-04T12:27:00.000-04:00

As many are enjoying the birthday of the United States today, it is interesting to note that several of our founding fathers were also farmers. Please enjoy some of their thoughts on farming as found on the Animal Agriculture Alliance facebook page.

How to Stretch Fine Art Canvas Painting Gallery Wrap

2011-07-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

Curious as to how canvas prints get stretched onto a frame and ready for hanging? This video shows you how to do it yourself, or at least, you can see how the canvas is stretched and placed on a frame before it gets to you.

Cow Art and More at the Holstein convention

2011-06-29T12:18:00.001-04:00

In case you missed at the Holstein convention last week, we want to catch you up on just how the booth finally came together!

This was our "blank slate". The booth came with a covered table, two chairs, 3 foot sidewalls and an 8 foot backwall.

I had the convention center staff add 8 foot tall polls with connecting horizontal bars around all sides. This allowed me to add lights to the top of the booth.

You can also see I hung ivory drapes in the back (I wanted the art to hang on a neutral color) and wood floor design foam tiles on the floor. (Yes, that is one of my peeps putting them together.)

I put the table along one of the sides and covered with the chocolate colored table cover. I then set up pedestals along the back and in the front corner of the booth. The Cow Art and More booth was also on the end of the row, so I had the show staff take off the outer side rail to allow traffic to flow easier.

The finished booth with cow artwork in place! The great majority of our art was of Holstein cattle, but a few Jerseys managed to sneak in too.

The two wooden framed drawings were the original ideal Holstein and ideal Red and White Holstein done by Gary Sauder. The stained glass piece in the center right was done by the McIntyres and had one of Gary Sauder's ideal Holstein cow prints in the center.

We had several Holstein prints by Jo Lynch. This same design is also available as a cross stitch pattern.

"Bessie the Cow" made her debut! She was just added to the Cow Art and More gallery this week. She was also a big hit with the kids since she was hanging out on ground level. Bessie can be displayed indoors, but is meant to live outside and enjoy the weather.

In addition to having the new Holstein cow bookmarks, we also had flower and bird designs from the same artist at Palmetto Cat Designs.

We also debuted our new farm themed nightlights (and sold out)! These will be listed soon on Cow Art and More. Be sure to keep an eye on our new products section.

In addition to having the Out to Pasture and Over the Moon tote bags by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, we also showcased bags with the Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky image by Robin Maria Pedrero.

Of course we couldn't come without bringing our Southern Living star, "Lazy Afternoon" by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson. She looked the regal part watching over the Cow Art and More booth and was sold to a farm in Virginia before the show was over.

By far, one of the favorite things of the convention was visiting with dairy farmers from across the country. America salutes what you do and I am honored to represent your passions in artistic forms. We will also be posting our success in helping the National Holstein Women's Scholarship Organization raise money for their scholarship through the sale of the milk bottle charm.

Monday's agricultural website - Progressive Dairyman

2011-06-27T12:43:00.001-04:00

Today's agricultural website to share with readers is for Progressive Dairyman, an online news source with offline magazines. Progressive Dairy Publishing began more than 20 years ago with the company’s first publication, Progressive Dairyman. The goal was to provide timely, professional information to dairy farmers in Idaho.

Over the years, Progressive Dairyman has grown in influence, becoming the source of dairy information in the Northwest and securing many loyal readers throughout the U.S. The company now publishes three additional magazines: El Lechero, Progressive Forage Grower and Progressive Cattleman.

In the spirit of June is Dairy month, the magazine is sponsoring their own version of "bracketology" with an ice cream face off. Voting for the second round runs through this Thursday!

Cow Art and More June e-news

2011-06-23T12:19:00.000-04:00

While we're busy setting up the Cow Art and More art booth at the National Holstein convention, we invite you to take a moment to read our monthly e-news. We always try to share useful tips and information with readers, including how to make the most of your art purchase. Click here to read the Cow Art and More new art, decorating tips, and DIY art project.

Getting the cow art booth ready

2011-06-22T12:07:00.001-04:00

I'm minutes away from pulling out the door, but had a few more "hodge podge" pictures to share:

My woodworking friend Bill also cut some scrap lumber for me to use as shelving. Here, I'm drilling holes for screws to attach the brackets.

He also marked holes for me to drill to attach screws to secure the jewelry displays.

Some good fit and now I can secure it. (Bill is always good about "safety".)

A "ballot box" to collect names for the Cow Art and More contact list. I like doing it this way as to protect people's privacy. Do you really like adding your name to a list so everyone can see?

Okay, the truck is PACKED FULL and we are heading north! See you on Friday!

New sterling silver jewelry charm

2011-06-21T20:00:00.000-04:00

I am proud to announce the new jewelry charm has arrived! Enjoy the solid sterling silver milk bottle as a way to show your dairy pride (and help a worthy charity in the process).

Click here to order the sterling silver milk bottle charm

P.S. Order this silver milk bottle charm through Thursday, June 23, and receive FREE shipping!

Finishing up the cow art display

2011-06-21T13:06:00.019-04:00

It's crunch time for the debut of Cow Art and More at the National Holstein Convention! One of the final things to do over the last week was making the fabric covers for the pedestals.

Some of the pedestals will have a nice pale green cover. This is a fire retardant fabric I bought directly from the manufacturer.

I used my handy-dandy sewing machine (which had not seen the light of day in awhile) to finish the edges.

I also did the same with some burlap fabric, but had to use a "edging glue" to keep the sides from fraying.

To hang these to the pedestals, I have a applied velcro to the cardboard pedestal and the fabric cover.

Look for pictures of the finished product later this week!

Monday's agriculture website - National Holstein Convention

2011-06-20T14:26:00.007-04:00

Whether you're coming to the National Holstein Convention this week or not, you can read about the Holstein breed and some of the Holstein dairy cow farmers in Virginia. Holstein breeders hold a convention every year in a different state. The official convention website also has a copy of the souvenir catalog. There are plenty of activities for youth and adults, not to mention a sale Friday evening of some of the best Holstein cattle in the country! (and don't forget, Cow Art and More will be there for our first live event!)

Friday's art article - SELECTING ART MATS

2011-06-17T14:08:00.001-04:00

Today's article of interest to art enthusiasts is on different considerations for selecting mats for an art purchase. While a frame is important to a piece of art, mats are just as important for helping to complement the piece. This article goes over some basic considerations in selecting the right mat for a piece.

Art show display fabrics

2011-06-16T12:37:00.000-04:00

I'm not done getting the pedestals ready for the National Holstein Convention, but thought I would take a break from that to show you about some of the other fabrics I will be using. Even though our booth will be coming with drapes and a table cover, I am bringing my own. Why? The show management picked the colors and they're not the kind that I would say "go with art gallery decor". I want the art to display at its best!

These 8 foot tall drapes will hang along the back of the booth. They are an ivory color and will be the background for a couple of hanging canvas art prints by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.

I have an "earthy, chocolate brown" for the table cover. This will give the table a sophisticated, yet country feel. It will also go nicely with the "wood" floor tiles.

Jewelry display cases

2011-06-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

Now that the pedestals are on their way to being done, I wanted something a little extra "secure" for the jewelry. Don't get me wrong, farm people are some of the nicest, most honest people in the world, but how does the saying go...."Trust in God, but lock your car." I've done art shows before and had jewelry stolen, so I know the potential exists. I also needed wood planks cut for a shelf, so to get both projects done, I gave my local art show, woodworking buddy a call.

This is Bill. He makes wooden boxes and other assorted pieces from exotic woods. He is also a man after my own heart as he has completely converted his garage into his studio (same here). I needed him to cut some wood boards and dowel rod, along with drilling some holes into the me d ium density fiberboard pedestal tops. Bill is pretty good about figuring out the simplest way of doing things. I just need to go to him with an idea.

I think I caught him off guard a couple of times. He's used to working without a flash....or an audience.

Without a doubt, I know he got this job done better and faster than I ever could have. He's got the best in tools, including a laser sighted wood saw. Pretty slick!

I don't know what the technical description is of the technique here, but he's doing a partial drill out of circles for the dowel rod pieces that are going to support the glass for the jewelry display.

No art studio is complete without a mascot. This is "Steve", of the rare breed, "Florida brown dog". Steve was a stray dumped in Bill's neighborhood a few years ago, and he's been hanging here ever since.

The construction is done! The wooden dowel rods are holding up a piece of glass. The jewelry will be displayed underneath. Not high tech or high security, but enough to make someone give pause.

More on the pedestal construction this week!

Constructing art display pedestals

2011-06-14T12:49:00.024-04:00

In a post last week, I showed you a trip to Lowe's to get tops for art display pedestals. The next step was to put them together.

I had the medium density fiberboard (MDF) cut into squares of 14 by 14 inches and 12 by 12 inches. I managed to get a total of 21 squares out of a 4 foot by 9 foot sheet.

I centered a 12 inch by 12 inch square on a 14 inch by 14 inch square. I glued it down with wood glue and let it sit for 24 hours.

While those were drying, I started working on the pedestal base.

I ordered a stack of 10 cardboard boxes, double walled thickness, 12 inches by 12 inches by 48 inches. It almost cost as much to ship them as it cost for the boxes.

I had selected a few different heights that I wanted to give the display some visual interest. This particular box, I marked 40 inches from the bottom all the way around.

I then used my handy-dandy "as seen on TV ginsu knife" to cut the box. (Yes, that's me in the do-rag at left. I'm either wearing one of those of a baseball cap.)

Voila! Cardboard pedestals with hard tops! The top piece is the 14 by 14 and 12 by 12 combo. A 12 inch by 12 inch piece of MDF is in the inside bottom of the box to help keep it steady. I figured I made 7 for the cost of buying 2 already made.

They're still not done though. I need to make covers and have attachments for glass for the jewelry display pieces.

Monday's agriculture website - Agchat Foundation calendar contest

2011-06-13T12:29:00.000-04:00

In case you don't know, I'm a founding board member of the Agchat Foundation. Currently, we are running a picture contest for our 2012 calendar, to be sold at a later date. First prize is a scholarship to our conference in August or an agnerd technology gift certificate! The top five places get a prize and the top 12 are included in the calendar. Below is a link to the contest, or you can go to the Agchat Foundation Facebook page contests tab to enter the contest as well. You have until this Sunday, June 19 to submit your entry. Voting starts June 20, so encourage your friends to come and help you win! Winners are announced July 19. Good luck!

Friday's art video - How to add charms to a charm bracelet

2011-06-10T19:01:00.003-04:00

Want to know how to add charms to a bracelet yourself? I've created this short video to show you how to do it in just a couple of minutes with a few tools.

Art gallery display pedestals

2011-06-09T12:41:00.000-04:00

One of the things I'm going to need in a couple of weeks is counter height display pedestals. I'm making my own floor standing pedestal displays made from cardboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF). I'm not necessarily a do-it-yourselfer, but I weigh the cost versus the time. In this case, I figured I could get 4 to 6 pedestals for the price of buying one if I did it myself.

My research led to the websites of several large home improvement stores. I found the MDF I wanted and it came in a 4 foot by 9 foot size. "Great!" I thought to myself. That will definitely be enough. Got my wood working buddy to agree to cut it to size for me, so off I went to Lowe's.

When I got there, I asked for help finding the said 4 foot by 9 foot MDF. As the very nice men at Lowe's took me there, I had this, "Oh my God, what was I thinking moment". How the heck did I think I was going to get this home in my vehicle???? (Notice said piece of MDF in the picture. It's huge!)

I looked at the two Lowe's guys and asked, "Can you guys cut this?" In a rather confident, respectful tone, one of them answered, "Ma'am, we're Lowes."

Yeah, I should have know they could do it.

So the very nice sales associates at Lowe's cut up my MDF (and thought I was a whack job for taking pictures too).

In the end, I have enough pieces to do 6 pedestals. Next on the to do list for this project is to cut the cardboard.

Stay tuned for the next part of the pedestal making.

Portable art gallery lighting

2011-06-08T12:20:00.001-04:00

Part of having a good art show booth display is to make sure customers can actually see what you're trying to sell. This sounds like a "duh", I know, but extra lighting can make or break the success of a booth. Even though the Cow Art and More art show booth at the Holstein convention is indoors in the convention center, the lights won't be enough. I'm going to need to take lights with me.

There are several lighting options, but what works best for me is a portable (which really isn't meant to be portable) track lighting system. I will be taking three two foot track sections with gooseneck lights purchased from one of those major home improvement retailers. Why two foot sections you might ask? Portability! I can take these apart versus trying to bring a 6 foot track in the back of a SUV.

To get the tracks back together, I use connectors and put covers over them. I also have it wired to an electrical cord at the end.

This is what the finished track looks like when it's hung and lit. I've attached it to a cross bar above the top front of the booth (this picture is from a different show) with cable ties. The gooseneck pendant lamps are adjustable, so I can pose them to shine light exactly where I want them too.

You can't have too much lighting!

Portable art gallery flooring

2011-06-07T12:24:00.000-04:00

One of the first things I did in designing the booth was deciding that I wanted a distinct gallery feel to the space. When it comes to setting up in convention centers, there can be anything from carpet to a bare concrete floor. I considered an area rug, but then found these great spongy tiles (that have the same sponginess as the tiles used in milking parlors).

I settled on two foot by two foot interlocking tiles with a wood grain pattern. I also bought a zippered carrying case for them. The portability also made them more appealing than an area rug.

As you can see they are pretty easy to put together. My youngest was having a great time helping me make sure the tiles were going to work. The great thing about these mats too is that they should help people (and me too) feel comfortable while standing.

Monday's agriculture website - Midwest Dairy

2011-06-06T14:19:00.006-04:00

Did you know June is Dairy month? June Dairy Month, an annual celebration that began in 1937, is traditionally a time to reflect on dairy foods and the industry that makes it possible. It was created as a promotion to help distribute extra milk when cows started on pasture in the summer months. Today, its rich history continues, with communities, companies and people from all over the country observing June Dairy Month in a variety of ways.

Head over the the Midwest Dairy site to learn more about June Dairy month and dairy farming. You will have the opportunity to meet some dairy farmers, learn more about how they take care of their cows, and learn how to cook with dairy products. Moms can also get nutrition advice and recipes.

The Midwest Dairy Association is a non-profit organization financed and directed by the dairy producers in nine states in the midwest. The association implements programs that help increase sales and demand for dairy products and dairy ingredients and help improve the economic well-being of Midwest dairy producers. The association's education division promotes a healthy diet through nutrition education and the use of dairy products to consumers, health professionals and teachers.

Friday's art article - How to ask for an art donation

2011-06-03T12:39:00.000-04:00

Both myself and Cow Art and More get requests from many worthy charities and non profits for art donations. The requests are usually for pieces for a silent auction, raffle, or door prize. Since I have created a new sterling silver charm with a portion of the sale price to go to a charity, I wanted to share 10 points for others to learn how to successfully approach a person or entity for an art donation for their cause.

1. Approach an artist or gallery you have a good relationship with. This could be that you are a regular customer or regularly interact via social media or live events.

2. Approach someone that has strong feelings about the charity or non profit group you are raising funds for. For example, when the president of the National Holstein Women's Scholarship Organization approached me about a fundraising joint venture, as a past scholarship winner, I wanted to make sure the program could continue and was happy to step up and do my part.

3. Know that artists and galleries get MANY requests for donations. This may even be a good way to lead into your request: "You must get lots of requests to donate your beautiful paintings. Our organization would be grateful if you would at least consider making a donation for our annual fundraiser."

4. Write your request to an actual person! Research the gallery and/or artist to find an actual contact person versus sending your request to "To Whom It May Concern".

5. Share what the artist and/or gallery can expect to receive in return for their donation. Are you going to feature the art and/or the artist in a brochure or catalog about the event? Will the artist's work be shown with their name and photograph? Are you asking the artist or a gallery representative to make a personal appearance?

6. A little flattery goes a long way (but be sincere!) Get to know the gallery or artist and their art first before you ask for a donation. It will be much easier for you to talk about their art and why you find it a good fit for your charity event.

7. Consider asking if the artwork is available for purchase at the wholesale price (since you are asking on behalf of a charity). While artists and galleries may balk at giving up art outright, they may consider selling it to the charity at a discount. Cow Art and More has done that for several non profit organizations with good success. Our artists got to make a sale, the charity got the retail profit, and I was happy knowing that Cow Art and More was able to help a worthy organization.

8. Don't forget to follow up with a handwritten thank you on a nice card or stationery. Not a postcard. Not an email. Not a "thank you" buried somewhere on your website. A thoughtful, handwritten thank you goes a long way in getting the artist or gallery to make a donation again.

9. Know that some of the artists and galleries are going to say no (and remind yourself this is okay). It might be the artists doesn't have any inventory to spare or can't afford the donation. Regardless, thank him or her for their time and ask if it's okay for you to contact them in the future.

10. Lastly, do not tell the artists what they can or can't do in terms of how this donation relates to their tax situation. Donating art is a tricky situation; recommend the artist or gallery consult their financial adviser for advice on this matter.

*This article was written by Cow Art and More gallery owner and jewelry artist Kathy McComb Swift.*