Carrie’s Painting of the Week – 6/13/14
Wednesday, June 11th, 2014
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.
