Six months same as cash financing for Cow Art

Cow Art and More is working with Paypal to offer 6 months financing for all purchases of $99 or more. Enjoy the art now, pay for it over time!  (And you even get $5 back on your first purchase)

*Must receive credit approval and make the required monthly payments. See Paypal for a full list of details.*

Cow Art and More seeking new artists

Are you a cow artist looking for a targeted customer base to market your work?  Cow Art and More, the art gallery where 'art and agriculture' meet, is looking for quality artists in any media that portrays agriculture and cows in a beautiful art form.  Cow Art and More will be attending World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, this fall, along with plans to attend the NCBA conference in February 2013.

Interested artists should submit by email the following:

A few pictures representative of your work along with descriptions
Retail prices
Availability (originals, prints, etc)

Information must be submitted by Saturday, July 14 to info@cowartandmore.com for consideration.  Incomplete submissions will not be considered.  Questions may be directed to the same email address or gallery owner Kathy Swift on twitter @cowartandmore
 

Two new painters join Cow Art and More

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.

Happy 3rd Birthday Cow Art and More

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:

1. We have shipped art to 4 continents. (Watch out penguins on Antarctica, we're coming for you next!)
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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".

Cow Art and More - as reported by our intern

*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.

Cow Art and More Aug e-news

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.

Decorating tips, new art, DIY art project

In case you missed it in your inbox, here is this month's e-news:

May 2011 decorating tips, new art and a do-it-yourself art project

Robert Saueressig - Other interests

What else do you do besides your art?

Living in Madison, IN where the entire downtown (122 blocks!) is a National Historic Landmark District, inspired me to get involved in historic preservation projects. I also served on the city’s Historic District Board of Review.

Picture credit: "Two Angus Heifers", acrylic on burlap

Click here to learn more about this Angus cattle painting

Robert Saueressig - How do you decide what to paint?

How do you decide what to paint?

Like most artists, I paint what I know, or am familiar with, although I enjoy experimenting with subject matter and and techniques outside of my comfort zone.

Picture credit: "Black Angus Grazing", acrylic on burlap

Click here to learn more about this Angus painting

Artist Paula Jones - Painting advice

What advice to you have for aspiring artists?

Always believe in yourself. Always. Practice - miles and miles of canvas. Believe in yourself. Have I said that? Believe ....and know.

Picture credit: "Sweet Caroline"

Click here to learn more about this Hereford cow oil painting

Artist Paula Jones - future plans

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

Creating.....and selling! LOL!! Actually, I love everything that I do., I am fortunate that I also have started doing abstract work, and the variety keeps me very content.

Picture credit: "Road Warrior II"

Click here to learn more about this Hereford cattle oil painting

Painter Paula Jones - Where did you learn your technique?

Where did you learn your technique?

My friend urged me to study with people whose art I respected - hmmm.... I knew so little about art, that I didn’t even know who I respected. So, I started devouring books. Turns out I loved Russian Impressionism. And that was where I started.

One artist in particular - Sergei Bongart - caught my eye. I loved his boldness, his color, his brushwork. And so I sought out his students - Louise Demore, Don Sahli and Guido Frick. I would drive from the middle of Kansas to Evergreen, Colorado to study with Don Sahli once a week in the middle of the winter. My thirst for knowledge about art and the process was unquenchable. I found Guido Frick, probably the most influential teachers I had. He had a freedom about his work that I couldn’t get enough of. Over the next two years I studied with him for a total of about 3 months, both in workshops and in private lessons.

Picture credit: "Kansas Rushmore", oil on canvas

Click here to learn more about this Hereford cattle painting

Painter Paula Jones - Where do you get your inspiration?

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from everything - a color, a feeling, a smell, a memory.... It comes from everything, and anything.

Picture credit: "Gorgeous", oil on canvas

Click here to learn more about this Hereford cow painting

Painter Paula Jones - What is your technique?

What is your technique?

I start with a sketch where my former, interior design sense turns the canvass into a room I’m composing. I take time to mentally choose the colors, knowing when I start it’s going to be physically intense as I cover even a large canvass in fifteen minutes, take a short break, then start scooping thick chunks paint–oil or acrylic-onto my brush, pushing, pulling, sculpting to give shape and dimension as I create something out of nothing, as I breath the life force into being.

Picture credit: "Generations", oil on canvas

Click here to learn more about this Hereford cattle painting

Paula Jones - How did you get started painting?

How did you get started?

I started painting when I turned 45 - at the urging of a very good friend who was also an artist. I was remodeling homes at the time, and a rotten plaster ceiling had fallen on my head, to which my friend said to me - “do something creative, and less physical. You are going to get hurt!!!” At the time, I couldn’t disagree with her. And so, off I went for my “first” art lesson ever - in my whole life!

Picture credit: "Autumn Moon," oil on canvas

Click here to learn more about this beef cattle painting

Paula Jones - Why do you paint?

Why do you paint?

I paint, because, for some unknown reason, I feel like I have been called to paint.

March's featured artist, painter Paula Jones

Join us for the month of March as we introduce you to New Mexico oil painter, Paula Jones. I tried so hard not to be an artist. "I spent the first part of adulthood as that stereotypical, Midwestern mother and housewife assisting her husband’s career and raising children. Once my passion for creating works of art was ignited by a close friend, my entire life, as I knew it, completely changed." Paula's love for painting Hereford cattle reverts back her childhood and being around them on her grandparent's ranch. Enjoy a series of questions and answer sessions this month on the Cow Art and More blog as a way to get to know Paula and her work. View her portfolio of work in the Cow Art and More specials section. Purchase any of Paula's paintings this month and receive free shipping.

Photo credit: Paula Jones at the easel in her New Mexico art studio.

Jo Lynch - How did you get interested in painting cows?

How did you get interested in creating art of farm animals?

Actually I've always loved the shapes of cows and horses... cows have many funny angles, strong shapes, sort of a linear feeling to me, and horses are smooth and streamlined in my eyes... I love to see a horse in motion. There is a flow to a horse in motion. When I started creating my Whimzicals, I thought a cow would be perfect with it's angular shapes, so a cow was one of my earliest whimzicals. If anyone wants to share photos of horses or cows with me, I'd be delighted as I do not have a lot of horse photos to work from. I have taken many cow photos in my art life... most of them from farms in Western Maryland or Virginia while traveling.

Picture credit: "Southwest Cow and Calf", watercolor on paper

Click here to learn more about this beef cattle painting

Art, agriculture and agvocacy

It's not very often that I get to visit an art exhibit about agriculture. When the Florida Museum of Natural History had their opening day activities for the exhibit, Florida Cowboys: Keepers of the Last Frontier, I jumped at the chance to go. I love art. I love agriculture. I never thought about combining the two of them into an agvocacy moment, which is what the exhibit so joyfully achieved. It seems that the public is truly interested in what we might consider "an average day's work". In addition to the photography exhibit detailing Florida's beef cattle industry, there were groups from the University of Florida extension service, multiple beef breed organizations, and the gator collegiate cattle women. Each of the these groups, along with Florida Cattlemen's Association, educated museum attendees about the Florida cattle and ranch industries. What follows are my photographs from the event.

For articles published in the local newspaper, the Gainesville Sun, follow these links:

Museum offers a glimpse of the cowboy life

Cowboys mosey on up to museum



There was a heifer and bull calf there for visitors to see up close. Everyone was fascinated with everything about cow behavior. (I'm thinking the calves were thinking the same thing about the people.)











A cowboy was there with his horse, a descendant of the horses brought from Spain when settlers first came to Florida hundreds of years ago. He rode the horse a bit to show a few of the skills necessary for both to be effective at working cattle.







The cattlemen's association also had a few camps set up outside to let visitors know what it was like to work on a ranch before modern conveniences were available.










As museum goers were able to see, the accommodations were rustic to say the least.













Once inside the museum, other farmer based groups were there to answer questions and share the importance of agriculture to everyone's daily life. The Alachua County cattlemen's group provided literature and had a posterboard of cattle facts.














My boys and I stopped to enjoy some time with the Gator Collegiate Cattle Women at the University of Florida. They had "little people" oriented materials and games.

















One of the games they participated in was learning about ALL the products that come from cattle.









Of course, we went to see the art as well. These are just a few of the pictures from the exhibit.



This Florida "cracker" cow greets people as they enter the exhibit.


















Who knew picking up newborn calves was art?


















In addition to the photography, there were exhibits with other husbandry items to help explain the process in the photos. In front of this picture, there are examples of products used on the day that picture was taken. There were antibiotics, dewormers, fly sprays, dehorners along with a rope and saddle.







Visitors can also take the opportunity to watch any of several movies running. They show the history of Florida cattle ranches and what it's like to work on one.









At the end of the day, even I was amazed that the art of agriculture could serve as an agvocacy moment. Perhaps this could be a lesson to all of us on finding another way to connect with consumers.

Interview with Kevin Webster - Other interests

What else do you do besides your art?

I work full time as a police dispatcher and I love to travel.

Picture credit: "The Look", oil on masonite panel

Click here to learn more about this beef cattle painting