Monday's agriculture website of interest: CRYSTAL CATTLE BLOG

Have a yearning to live the life of a cow girl but don't want to leave the comfort of your office chair? How about giving Crystal Young a follow on her Crystal Cattle blog. Crystal has a passion for agriculture, and wants to see farmers remain on the land, raising food for all of us. She also travels for work and provides commentary on her hectic life. She also blogs about her love for photography, video production, Kansas State University, turquoise jewelry, and current events in the livestock industry. She frequently travels between Alberta, Canada, Kansas, and Missouri.

A conversation with Shannon Grissom: Part 7

Where did you learn your technique?

I learned color seeing through my long time mentor/teacher Michael Linstrom and artist friend Janet Vanerhoof but I developed the layering on my own. I learned so much from them both but I really do not paint like anybody.

Picture credit: "Happy Trails", oil on canvas

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A conversation with Shannon Grissom: Part 4

How did you get started?

As a child, music was a part of my daily life but not art. Oh I painted a little but in high school but never took an official art class. As a teenager, I'd climb up in our loft and disappear for hours. However, once I entered college, I stopped creating and didn't do anything officially creative again until I was 32.

( I chose a practical major, transportation/business and ended up dropping out as a senior. Sometimes the most logical choices are not the best choices! )

I took my first painting class at 32 and knew right then I was supposed to be an artist. I'd get up every day at 3am and paint before work. (After work was too stressful.)
Finally, after 5 years of doing this, I was able to leave my day job and become a full time artist.

Picture credit: "Breaktime", oil on canvas

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A conversation with Shannon Grissom: Part 3

Why do you paint?

I must. It's a primal drive for me. I feel the same way about music. There is so much inside that needs to come out. It's like being really excited about something and wanting to share it with everyone.

Picture credit: "The Roping Lesson", oil on canvas

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A conversation with Shannon Grissom: Part 2

How do you decide what to paint/draw?

It simply must make me feel good. I have several paintings going at once in the studio and I choose the one that speaks to me each morning. When I don't listen, I usually make a mess of things.

Picture credit: "An American Girl", oil on canvas

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A conversation with Carla Christina Contreras: Part 8

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

All the time! I have more goof ups now more than ever because I’m not afraid to make a mistake – I have discovered that making mistakes also helps me to explore, to learn more about myself and my equipment.

Photo credit: "Boots"

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