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 World Dairy Expo #WDE12

Wow!  We're heading to World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, in a couple of weeks, and there is so much to do!  One of the things is (obviously) to take art to sell.  While doing inventory last week, I snapped a few random pictures of some of the cow art that will be headed to the event.

Have you seen our World Dairy Expo exclusive jewelry charm yet?  I wanted a special way to celebrate our inaugural attendance at this year's expo.  It's a limited edition and can be bought at WDE or ordered online.

If you're old school like me and still need a bookmark (I don't know how I could ever go digital on cookbooks), you won't want to miss our magnet cow bookmarks.  They're strong enough to clip several pages at a time.  (and if you have decided you have enough cow decor in your house, there will be other country designs as well)

I have to tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE our bags with cow art by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.  They come in several different sizes (small purse size all the way up to a beach bag) and are the perfect fashion statement to show your dairy girl pride.

If you're a fan of realistic paintings of dairy cattle, you won't want to miss the art of Robert Duncan.  His paintings also come in cow card sets with blank insides, making them perfect for any occasion.

Just in case you thought we didn't have anything for the Jersey folks, be sure to check out our Jersey Jug jewelry charms.  Fifteen percent of the sale of each charm goes to fund American Jersey Cattle Club youth scholarships.

Looking for a 'little' something to take home to someone as a souvenir?  Our farm animal night lights easily fit into a suitcase or carry on bag and will be cherished by the recipient.  These lights have a 1/3 watt bulb and emit a soft glow.

So what you do get someone who has everything?  How about hours of entertainment putting a cow puzzle together.  Choose from two designs, Holstein or Jersey, both with artwork by Robert Duncan.


You can find Cow Art and More at World Dairy Expo in the Coliseum, main concourse, booth 62 (across from Alpine Ridge Embroidery).  Will we see you there?

Why I should be fired as a blogger

Perhaps because I haven't blogged in awhile. I'm not making excuses. I've had some great opportunities come my way recently that have taken up a lot of time. Time that I used to put towards blogging. As much as I love to keep in touch with cow art enthusiasts through the cow art blog, I haven't found a way to eek out any more minutes from the 24 hour day.

I have secretly hoped that there was a telepathic blogging app for my phone that would allow me to get posts out. Until that happens, I guess I'm going to have to deal with them being a bit less frequent.

That being said however, I do want to know what YOU want to hear about with Cow Art and More. More on the artists? techniques? studio cat pictures? Please leave your ideas in the comments section below.

On a semi-related note, I do have two blog posts that have been gnawing at me to write. They don't really relate to art, but more as my job and role within agriculture. If you will give me a little latitude this week, I would like to write about them here.

Thanks for listening. More to come this week.

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)

Getting cow art ready for holiday sales

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?

Friday's art article - Cow Parade Austin

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.

Cow Art and More Oct e-news

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!)

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.

Zero to chaos in three minutes or less

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.)

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

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:

Cow Art and More September e-news

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

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!

Shipping cow art to the PA All American Dairy Show

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.

Getting ready to travel north

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:

1. 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.
2. 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

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

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 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.

A few facts about the Cow Art and More artists

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.

Commonly asked questions at Cow Art and More

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?

Packaging cow jewelry orders - Cow Art and More

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.