Long, Long Longhorn, oil on canvas, 15×60

By Carrie Jacobson

Usually, I have an idea of what I want to paint when I address the canvas. But sometimes, the canvas itself determines the subject.

This has happened most with me with what I call cowscapes, or paintings of cows. My very first cowscape came about this way. I walked into an art supply store and saw, right in the front of the shop, a big canvas for sale. I think it was 48×60. Big. And it was CHEAP!

So I bought it. I’d never made a painting that big, never even thought about it. But I had the feeling that I was going to like painting large.

I got the canvas home and began thinking. If I was going to paint on a big canvas, I needed to paint something big. I’ve never been a wizard at painting houses, or cars, or cities. Trains, no. Lighthouses, I hope never. I had no desire to paint a bus, or a tractor or an 18-wheeler.

Then I lit on the notion of cows, and it all sort of fell into place.

On my big canvas, I made a big painting of big cows. I put it into a small show in a small gallery – and it sold right away. Whee!

Since then, I’ve enjoyed making cowscapes, and I always try to have one in my booth at shows.

This one came about in sort of the same way as that very first one. I bought the canvas because the shape intrigued me. I had no idea what I’d do with it, or even if I’d use it horizontally or vertically. Eventually, I got the idea of doing a longhorn – and this is what I ended up with.

Want to see it in person? I’ll be at the New Milford, CT, Fine Arts and Crafts show this weekend.

Help Me with the Title!
Oil on canvas, 30×40

By Carrie Jacobson

Sometimes titles come easily to me … sometimes not. This is one of the nots.

I love the painting! Love the big cow, the ripples on the water, the huge, towering clouds. I’m really happy with it. But I can’t come up with a title. I’d love your input! Please put your title ideas in the comment area below.

The whole business of putting titles to paintings is a little mystifying. Titles are not headlines, in the same way that headlines are not titles (a confusion that used to drive me a little crazy when I worked in newspapers). Titles need to say something about the painting – and also, I think, suggest something, a feeling, an atmosphere. Sometimes I skip this last and just put a sturdy, workmanlike title on a painting… But I have a “Big Cows” painting right now, so that won’t work… and I have a “Storm Rolling In” painting, too, so that won’t work, either.

For a while, I tried lines of poetry, or lines from songs. But none of those comes to mind for this piece.

I did think of something like – – “Shouldn’t You Be Lying Down?”  So far, that’s the best I’ve got.

What’s your best?