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

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)

Photography by Kent Weakley

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.

Super Cow Sequel by Robin Maria Pedrero

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.

Jo Lynch - Why do you paint?

Why do you paint?

I paint because it gives me pleasure. I love watching the flow of colors mingling, and it is particularly satisfying if one ends up with a painting that is pleasing to oneself. Many paintings are not of complete satisfaction, so it is very rewarding to be happy with a painting when it is finished.

Cow artist on magazine cover

Cow Art and More artist Robin Maria Pedrero has artwork featured on the January 2011 issue of Winter Park magazine. Robin also has additional paintings featured inside the magazine on a three page spread beginning on page 36. While her work in the magazine does not include cows, the beauty of her work is still an inspiration. View the January issue of the magazine online here.

Introducing oil painter Linda Blondheim

Oil painter Linda Blondheim was the featured artist for March 2009 on Cow Art and More. Linda is well known throughout the southeast United States for her landscape paintings, including those of rural Florida farmland and cattle. Linda recently opened her own small gallery space and enjoys meeting with customers and art enthusiasts.

Why do you paint?

It's in my soul. I started painting at eight years old and never stopped.

How did you get started?

I started an art club for the neighborhood kids when I was nine. We painted together one day a week. I also had a horse club which crossed over into horse art. We were all horse crazy at that age.

What is your technique?

I paint with oils, acrylics and gouache. I am representational expressionist, in that I don't copy nature but rather invent it in my on style.

Where did you learn your technique?

I have a BFA (bachelor of fine arts) in Fine Art and advanced study. I studied with Joe Testa Secca in undergraduate school and with Bruce Marsh, in graduate school, both fine painters. After I finished school I self studied for many years and I still do.

How did you decide what to paint?

I became very interested in the Southern Landscape about 20 years ago. I started painting on location then and continue to work both on location with a small paint box and in the studio for larger format work. My fascination with the landscape goes on endlessly. I also enjoy Bovines and Canines as subjects.

How long does it take you to paint a painting?

Small paintings are done alla prima, from start to finish in one session, usually from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Large format paintings can take from 1-3 weeks.

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

All the time. Those are the most instructive. I consider painting to be an ongoing study, never a finished skill set.

What else would you like people to know about your work that they may not know already?

My work is thematic in approach. I will explore themes and subjects for long periods, because intense study of a subject reveals its soul. I also base many of my paintings on particular studies of technique. This is the way we grow as a painter.

I love the land, animals, people, cooking and culture of my beloved South. I am particularly indebted to the farmers, ranchers and land conservationists who allow me to paint on their private lands.

What advice to you have for aspiring painters?

There is no substitute for easel time. Work hard, study hard. Do many practice paintings, Study areas of painting like values, color mixing,composition in small studies. That will improve your painting.

A meet and greet with artist Robin Maria Pedrero

The Steinway Piano Gallery of Altamonte Springs, Florida (a suburb of Orlando) is featuring Cow Art and More artist Robin Maria Pedrero in the show "Continuum" for the month of May. In "Continuum," Robin presents works of art that infuse color and design to illustrate the timelessness of nature and love. Using opaque and transparent painted layers and selective ink drawn contours she shows how thoughts triggered by senses can take us on a visual journey connecting present perceptions, past experiences and future musings. A “Meet the Artist” wine/cheese/jazz reception will be May, 13, 2010 6 to 8 pm. Admission is free.

Watch painter Linda Blondheim in action

Cow Art and More acrylic and oil painter Linda Blondheim will painting at two "paint-outs" in Florida between now and May 1. The first live painting event is the Evinston Paint Out in Evinston, Florida. The best Florida landscape painters are invited to come and paint. They then sell the artwork as "fresh and wet" paintings in the wetroom gallery located in the Wood & Swink Old Store and Post Office. Proceeds of the art sales benefit the store and its restoration. Linda is this year's poster artist (seen in the poster at left). The Evinston paint out is April 17 to 24, 2010.










Just as Linda finishes up the Evinston paint out, she travels south to Winter Park, Florida (a suburb of Orlando). The Winter Park paint out runs from April 24 to May 1, 2010. Dur­ing this spe­cial event, 26 of Florida’s finest plein air artists will roam across our fair city cap­tur­ing many of your favorite land­scapes and land­marks with oils, water­col­ors and pastels.

Plein Air is a French term mean­ing “in the open air”. This term is used to describe art works painted out­doors with the sub­ject directly in view rather than in a stu­dio. Plein air artists cap­ture the spirit and essence of a land­scape or sub­ject by incor­po­rat­ing nat­ural light, color and move­ment into their works.

Video of the collage process

Enjoy this time lapse video showing one of Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson's paper painting collages in progress.

Afternoon on the Avenue

A conversation with Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson: Part 6

How do you decide what to paint, draw and model?

I like to work in a series of images so that this question is answered for me for a few paintings at a time! I am lucky enough to be represented by several art galleries who will help me with suggestions of images that they feel would sell or would work with a show or theme they are promoting. I also have a big solo show in September at the Maitland Art Center which they have asked me to create pieces related to music. I will be showing 35-40 collages in this exhibition. That's helped me decide what to paint for a while!

Photo credit: Elizabeth enjoying some time with a local boy scout troop

A conversation with Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson: Part 3

What is your technique?

My technique is a figurative form of collage. I take bits of torn hand-made and hand-painted papers, glue them over an acrylic under-painting, to form a recognizable image. I call this "Paper Paintings" because from a distance my work very much resembles an impressionistic painting.

A conversation with Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson: Part 2

Where did you learn your technique?

My technique is something I evolved on my own. I was a talented painter and pastel artist, but there were many more talented people using those mediums here in Orlando. I wanted to find a way to set my work apart from everyone else's. I started adding paper in with my acrylic paintings as a pattern and texture in small areas. Eventually those areas became larger and larger until the paper overtook the paint entirely one day when I challenged myself to create an image without any paint. I liked the effect I got, I liked the fact that this piece "Looking in on Jane" (a portrait of my mother) won Best of Show at OVAL (Orlando Visual Artists League) and then again at the WCA (Women's Caucus for the Arts) Matriarchs and Madonnas exhibit. I knew I was onto something, and so I ran with it.

Over the years my technique has continued to evolve. I used to use art store purchased colored papers. I found out the hard way that these papers fade. So I started hand-painting all my own collage papers. I experimented with color, texture, pattern and paper weight. I learned how to create my own palette of acrylic painted paper–it would not fade and I could create all the colors in the rainbow!

I feel my work is better now that I have such a variety of colors and textures of paper to choose from. I also use related material in my collages. I try to tie in some of the collage material to the subject matter. Some of my cow collages have nursery rhymes in them, "How Now Brown Cow" is an example of this. Some of my roosters have "Hickety Pickety My Fine Hen" intertwined with the Starbucks bags and painted maps, old checks and book pages.

A conversation with Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson: Part 1

How did you get started?

I have always been an artist. As I child I loved to paint and draw and excelled at it. I attended Syracuse University's School of Visual and Performing Arts and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts there in 1990.

Learn beginning photography techniques from Kent Weakley

Cow Art and More photographer, Kent Weakley, and photographer Mark Emery will be conducting a Beginners Photography Workshop for anyone wanting to make consistently great photos with their DSLR camera. The workshop is Saturday, April 17, from 9 AM to 5 PM, Ocala, Florida.

They will be covering all the basics and getting into the details of what makes a great photo. Kent and Mark will also be sharing many tips and techniques used by the pros on a daily basis. This class is for anyone who loves making and sharing photographs and wants to improve their photography skills. At the end of the day you will be equipped with the information needed to make great photos consistently time and time again.

To register for the beginner photography class, use this link.

Photo credit: Bovine Shade

Cow Art and More artist wins an award

Congratulations to Cow Art and More artist Robin Maria Pedrero for being recognized by the Florida Artist Registry Juried exhibit with an Honorable Mention. See the full information about Robin's winning oil painting (pictured above) here.

Cow Art and More artist featured in Florida design magazine

Cow Art and More artist Robin Maria Pedrero is one of the featured artists this month in Florida International Magazine's Art and Design issue. The feature includes emerging and established artists. This magazine serves an upscale, educated and well-traveled consumer, showcasing only the highest quality editorial content and advertisers. You can see Robin's information on page 68 of the online version of the magazine.

Robin Maria Pedrero, September featured artist

Cow Art and More will feature pastel drawing artist Robin Maria Pedrero for the entire month. Robin is a well-known central Florida artist that both paints and draws with pastels. She has been published in several magazines and has won numerous awards from art shows and art societies across the southeast. Robin is also an elected member of the Pastel Society of America, which is reflected by the PSA designation behind the signature on her work. Robin's artwork is also available for purchase on notecards and ceramic mugs.

All of Robin's work will have free shipping for the entire month.

Click here to see the complete line of Robin's work on Cow Art and More.

Studio visit with Linda Blondheim

I am very fortunate to work with a very talented group of artists across the country. I wish I had the time and opportunity to visit with all of them, but it is just about impossible. However, I am only a few miles from oil painter Linda Blondheim. I was able to spend a lovely afternoon with her in her studio just north of Gainesville, Florida. She, and her French Bulldog Henry, treated me to an afternoon of art and business talk. In addition to the cow art oil paintings she does for Cow Art and More, Linda is widely recognized as one of the premier landscape painters of the southeastern United States. She has an expanded portfolio of her work on www.lindablondheim.com. Linda is kind enough to receive visitors on appointment. She also participates in outdoor painting events across the state.

Picture credit: Linda's French Bulldog, Henry, waits for his newest friend to sit next to him on the futon

Artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson featured at Florida gallery

Should anyone be visiting the Sarasota area between now and mid-September, Cow Art and More artist Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson is one of the featured artists at Katharine Butler Gallery. The gallery is featuring several of Elizabeth's agricultural themed pieces, including cows, roosters and sheep.

Cow Art and More artist Elizabeth Nelson featured in Orlando Arts magazine

Mixed media artist, Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, has been featured in Orlando Arts magazine for her unique and special work using paper to create her mixed media collages. While she may be new to cow art enthusiasts, the art community of central Florida has long appreciated and admired her work.

Elizabeth's work:

Upper left side of the page, just to the right of the title:

"Life's Lemons," 24" x 20" collage with hand painted and hand stained collage papers on wood panel

Right hand side of the picture:

"Mom's Best Key Lime Pie"
24" x 24"
Collage of handpainted papers on panel

The collage is currently on exhibit and available for purchase from the COMMA gallery in Orlando, Florida.

Click here to see Elizabeth's mixed media cow art on Cow Art and More.