Have concerns about buying an original pastel?

For those who might be hesitant to buy an original pastel painting

- Lots of pastels are still around done by the old masters – see Edgar Degas
- the pastel won’t fall off, (most artist use a sanded paper that holds the pastel very well).
- The colors won’t fade but don’t hang your painting in direct sunlight.
- A spacer should be used when framing a pastel (your framer should know but mention just in case)
o Spacer will be between painting and glass
- If a small painting, it won’t get lost if you put a mat around it – double mat looks the best
- Choose a frame that is medium in width – too small or too large doesn’t show off your painting

These art tips shared today by Carolyn Molder

Painter and pastel artist Gary Sauder

The December 2009 featured Cow Art and More artist was pastel drawing and painter Gary Sauder. Gary grew up on a small farm in Sonoma County, California showing registered Jersey cows in the local 4-H club. Gary attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, for two years. After college, Gary took a position caring for and exhibiting the show cattle for then, Meadow Glen Farms of Orland, California. About that time he was introduced to colored pencils. Having always been an avid artist with a pencil, this produced an exciting jump into the realm of painting for Gary.

How did you get started?

I had always been drawing as long as I can remember and had been more or less apprehensive about painting because I didn’t quite know how. I had grown bored with drawing in graphite and hadn’t done it for a long time. Then one evening I saw a movie about a sketch artist for the police and he was using colored pencils and I decided to find out more about them. I got some books on the medium and I conquered my fear of color and shortly there after I graduated to pastel and even water color and oils. I enjoy them all but I prefer to paint in pastel.

Why do you paint?

I paint because of the unbelievable sense of accomplishment and expression that it gives me. I think that it gives me a chance to express how I view the world and the beauty of it. And I think that it gives me a chance to show other people the things that I find interesting.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my own experiences and my love of the natural world. I think that every day that I get to paint is a good day and a day that I learn something about myself. I hope when you see one of my paints that you can feel my inspiration.

What is your technique?

I suppose my technique mostly depends on the surface that I paint on. I generally work from very loose to very tight by and by working darks to mid tones to light to highlights and follow that progression about four to five times until I feel that the painting is finished. And I suppose that you would call the technique would be called realism or super realism.

Where did you learn your technique?

For the most part I am self taught, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t learn anything from other artists. I have taken workshops from other notable artists and have done several lessons in technique from master artist’s publications. And have viewed and studied the techniques of the artists that I admire the most. I also have taken to not hanging my own work on my walls at home and hang other artists work for me to see so that I don’t become too enamored with my own work.

How long does it take you to get an average painting?

For the most part I can do a painting in a week but I have done and average size (14 X 19) in a day it just depends on the subject and the complexity of the painting. I have also taken as long as three weeks to complete a painting.

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

I have made many goof ups and have done more than a few paintings that I don’t like. I also find that as the years go by some of the paintings I did ten years ago that I liked back then, I don’t like as much now and the opposite is also true.

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

I would like to do more of the same, but I would like to travel more and do more field work in many different places.

What else do you do besides painting?

Right now I distribute an amazing nutritional beverage called Mona Vie. It is a product that has wonderful health benefits.

What advice to you have for aspiring painters?

The only advice that I can give to aspiring painters is to paint often and treat it like a profession. I have found the more that I paint the better that I get at it and the more professional the result.

Meet painter and pastel artist Carolyn Molder

Pastel artist Carolyn Molder was the featured artist in July 2010 on Cow Art and More. Carolyn has been painting in pastels and watercolors for almost a decade. A move to the mountains of North Carolina was the perfect fit for her artistic talents, allowing her to completely immerse herself in the peaceful surroundings.

Why do you paint?

Painting feeds and restores the creativity in me. There are times I have to put that creativity on paper and that generates more creativity.

How do you decide what to paint?

In deciding what to paint, I’m usually enthusiastic about the scene or animals –sometimes it could be a breath-taking scene or expression of an animal. Something there just grabs my soul.

How did you get started?

Since I was a little girl I’ve drawn. I can remember as a child drawing animals – guess that’s why they are so special to me. Until about 10 years ago, life got in the way of my art but I found a week long watercolor class at the John C Campbell Folk School. I knew I had to take that class and I’ve been painting ever since.


What is your technique?

I am a representational painter using pencil, pastel and watercolor. I do like detail especially in the subject or focal area. When working in pastels with animals, I like to capture the expression first – the eyes are so expressive so that is my starting point.

Where did you learn your technique?

I’ve taken numerous workshops with really talented and well known instructors. I’m enriched by each learning experience sometimes only taking one little idea. I can always bring home a new technique or way of doing something.

Where do you get your inspiration?

My inspiration with an animal, its usually the expression. With other subjects, the inspiration is seeing the uniqueness and conveying the beauty I see to the canvas or paper.

How long does it take you to get the average creation?

Usually it can take a week to get a watercolor painting where I want it but the pastel is much faster and I can sometimes complete in a day.

Do you ever have work you don't like?

Not every painting is a winner or a keeper. Oh yes, sometimes those animals just won’t cooperate! *smile* I just can’t get those eyes quite right. Over the years, I've had a stack of paintings that just didn’t turn out.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

I think if someone really wants to paint, they need to seek a mentor and paint every day. If possible, it’s important to paint en plein aire (outdoors) to train your eye – I just can’t express how valuable that training is.

What else may people like to know about you?

I live in rural western North Carolina with lots of old barn buildings which I love to photograph and paint. Whenever traveling, my husband always knows to slow down when I pick up my camera to get that special shot of the barn along side the road.

What else do you do besides your art?

I have shown my golden retrievers in dog shows, agility, obedience trials and field events. This has helped me greatly in animal anatomy which has in turn helped with my art. I also teach dog obedience to pet owners.

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

I would like to do more farm scenes and animal paintings.

Q & A with Carolyn Molder: Part 11

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

I think if someone really wants to paint, they need to seek a mentor and paint every day. If possible, it’s important to paint en plein aire (outdoors) to train your eye – I just can’t express how valuable that training is.

Picture credit: Carolyn painting at her easel

Q & A with Carolyn Molder: Part 7

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

Although I never lived on a farm, I love to paint barns and farm land – the barns have so much character, and with each one something catches my eye that I have to put on paper. The scene is enhanced with farm animals. There is an 84 yr old farmer in our area that I love to talk to – I find him very interesting – he cuts and puts up a large amount of hay for himself and his families cows. His grandsons help him in the fields with the hay and he is always willing to leave a bale out so I can paint it.

Picture credit: "The Farm"

Click here to learn more about this farm landscape pastel drawing

Q & A with Carolyn Molder: Part 6

How do you decide what to paint?

In deciding what to paint, I’m usually enthusiastic about the scene or animals –sometimes it could be a breath-taking scene or expression of an animal. Something there just grabs my soul.

Picture credit: "Red Roof Barn"

Click here to learn more about this rustic barn pastel drawing

Q & A with Carolyn Molder: Part 5

Why do you paint?

Painting feeds and restores the creativity in me. There are times I have to put that creativity on paper and that generates more creativity.

Picture credit: "Billy Goat"


Click here to learn more about this Nubian goat pastel drawing

Q & A with Carolyn Molder: Part 2

What is your technique?

I am a representational painter using pencil, pastel and watercolor. I do like detail especially in the subject or focal area. When working in pastels with animals, I like to capture the expression first – the eyes are so expressive so that is my starting point.

Picture credit: "Barn in the Field"

Click here to learn more about this barn pastel drawing

Pastel artist accepted into competition

Cow Art and More artist, John Plishka, has been accepted into the national juried exhibition, "Art of the Horse" for 2010. The competition is sponsored by the New Jersey Equine Arts Association. This exhibit will be at the Somerset Arts Association in Bedminster, New Jersey. John's selected pieces are shown here:













Picture credit: "The Gentle Tutor"


















Picture credit: "Valor in the Charge"






Please contact Cow Art and More if interested in purchasing either of these two horse drawings

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.

A cow painting in progress

Enjoy this link to see Gary Sauder's pastel drawings progress from a simple pencil sketch on paper to a completed piece of cow art!

A conversation with Gary Sauder: Part 8

What advice to you have for aspiring painters?

The only advice that I can give to aspiring painters is to paint often and treat it like a profession. I have found the more that I paint the better that I get at it and the more professional the result.

Picture credit: "Pleasant Nook F Prize Circus", pastel on paper

Click here to learn more about this Jersey cow drawing

A conversation with Gary Sauder: Part 2

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my own experiences and my love of the natural world. I think that every day that I get to paint is a good day and a day that I learn something about myself. I hope when you see one of my paints that you can feel my inspiration.

Picture credit: "2:24", pastel on paper, the artist's rendering of the Thoroughbred Secretariat

Click here to learn more about this horse art image

A conversation with Gary Sauder: Part 1

How did you get started?

I had always been drawing as long as I can remember and had been more or less apprehensive about painting because I didn’t quite know how. I had grown bored with drawing in graphite and hadn’t done it for a long time. Then one evening I saw a movie about a sketch artist for the police and he was using colored pencils and I decided to find out more about them. I got some books on the medium and I conquered my fear of color and shortly there after I graduated to pastel and even water color and oils. I enjoy them all but I prefer to paint in pastel.

Picture credit: "Old Mill E Snickerdoodle", pastel drawing on velvet

Click here to learn more about this drawing of Snickerdoodle, the Grand Champion Brown Swiss and Reserve Supreme Champion at the 2009 World Dairy Expo

December's featured artist, Gary Sauder

Cow Art and More is excited to announce December's featured artist is pastel drawing and painter Gary Sauder. Gary grew up on a small farm in Sonoma County, California. He grew up showing registered Jersey cows in the local 4-H club. Over his career, he exhibited many grand champions and was showmanship champion numerous times. At the same shows, he was the dairy showmanship champion as well as the Round Robin Master Showmanship Champion. He earned the Paul Jackson Scholarship that same year.

Gary attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, for two years. After college, Gary took a position caring for and exhibiting the show cattle for then, Meadow Glen Farms of Orland California. About that time he was introduced to colored pencils. Having always been an avid artist with a pencil, this produced an exciting jump into the realm of painting for Gary.

Gary's art is featured in our specials section. Purchase his art and it will ship for free during the month of December.

John Plishka featured at art show

Featured October artist John Plishka recently had two paintings juried into the North Shore Art League's "Inchworks" show. The show is at the North Shore Art League Gallery in Winnetka, Illinois.

*As an aside note, "juried" means the work was selected from a number of submissions. While the jurying process varies from venue to venue, it generally includes a group of people well versed and talented in their respective fields. These people select work for inclusion into a show based upon its quality and uniqueness.

A conversation with John Plishka: Part 10

What advice do you have for aspiring painters?

I still consider myself at this point to be an aspiring painter. I want to improve my art in many facets still, and am a firm believer in that you can never know too much about a subject. But if I had any advice to give to people it would be to try to learn as much as you can about your chosen art direction and dive right in. Have a thick skin about your work as art is so subjective that a lot of people will not care for your work while others love it! Try to get yourself noticed as much as you can, and have the belief in yourself that your art is good and is worth creating! Lastly, try to get to know a lot of artists with similar interests- they will help you in your work and give encouragement which is so important when you are starting out!

Photo credit: John Plishka enjoying some horseback riding and family time

A conversation with John Plishka: Part 3

What is your technique?

Now I work mostly in pastels. In the past I also painted in oils and acrylics. Pastels allow me to work quickly, and for me they are easier to correct mistakes than other media. In my paintings I use a lot of pastel pencils. This allows me to get the fine detail I need when depicting hair, feathers, etc.

Picture credit: "Pack of Lie-ers", pastel on paper

Giclee prints of the original drawing available; Please contact Cow Art and More

A conversation with Robin Maria Pedrero: Part 7

How long does it take you to get an average piece of art?

Sometimes I plan or see the piece in my head for days, weeks, even months. Other pieces form by just coming before a blank page and placing marks or color until the piece evolves. It varies with subject matter and medium. An average piece of art might take one hour, two hours perhaps three hours to even seventy two hours over a period of a few weeks or months. Oils can take longer. Part of the process is also having distance and coming back to work on the piece with a fresh perspective.

Picture credit: "The Wild Ones", mixed media with pastel

Learn more about this cow mixed media art

A conversation with Robin Maria Pedrero: Part 6

How do you decide what to paint/draw?

I create what attracts me. The decision of specifics is part of the artistic judgments made throughout the creative process. Unless it is a commission and then the subject is usually their choice via my hand.