The New River Gorge Bridge

I had so much fun painting this.  This is the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, WV, my hometown.  It is within walking distance from the house I grew up in.  It used to be the world's longest steel arch bridge, but now I think it is only the longest in the western hemisphere.  The painting is impressionist and I purposefully left some of the drawing lines exposed.  Acrylic on 30x40 canvas.

Vandalized!

Well, the cow parade is just a couple of weeks away from getting all of the cows off the streets, touched up, and auctioned.  Black and White had almost made it without any of the trouble I had been hearing some of the other cows had.  Then I got the email.  I have to admit I was too mad to blog this when I first found out last Wednesday.  Andrew is going to go pick her up and I am going to try my best with some bondo, but the repairs will take quite a lot of work and then I may have to paint most of the cow over.  Here is the damage...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, not pictured, whoever did this ripped out the bolts from the feet holding the cow to the weighted platform.   

 

I am still cooling off.  More pictures when I get her back and start the bondo-ing.

 

 

Moonlight and Lake

My Studio

Here is a look into the studio I have here at home.  This is about as clean as it gets.

From the outside looking in...I love not having a solid door.  With this kind of door I have quiet without feeling like I don't know what is going on in the rest of the house.  We are planning on moving within the next year, so I have put in my request for another one of these doors on my new studio.

I basically have two easels/painting stations.  This one is my acrylic painting area and it is just right inside the door.

This is the oil painting area.  Notice the stereo in the bottom right corner.  That is white paint all down the front.  I had a really bad day that day!  Took forever to clean up and what a waste paint.  The painting on the easel is what I'm working on now.   Hope to finish it up within the next week or so.  I'll post when done.

New Fall Path

Here is Fall Path II while it was still on the easel.  A bigger version of the original....

And here it is on the mantle of its new home.  Sorry I should have used a flash, but you get the idea.

Fleetwood Church in the Dining Room

The person who bought this at last year's Mental Health Association Art of Living Auction was kind enough to send me a picture of it hanging in their dining room.  The color of the walls really makes the tall grass in the front of the painting stand out.  Looks great in this space.

 

I am donating another painting this year - my original Fall Path painting.  30x40 acyrilic.

 

 

(I recently reworked this painting for some great clients in a much bigger size to suit their needs  I'll post about it soon.)

 

You can find more out about the Mental Health Association's Art of Living Auction here:

 

http://www.mhag.org/auction/index.cfm

 

Other Cows!

Here are some pictures of some other cows from the round-up a couple of weeks ago...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish I had written down the names and the artists!  Really cool.

 

 

 

 

Bye bye Black and White Bovine!

She goes back to Durham tomorrow!  This has been so much fun and so much work!  I am really grateful to have had the chance to paint a cow.  Now someone go buy her at auction!!!

All of the cows will be on public display at Golden Belt in Durham August 18th.  Come on out and see us/them. 

A big thank you to Cowparade NC and the NC Children's Hospital for this opportunity.  I've had a blast.  www.cowparadenc.com 

Bye Bye Black and White Bovine.

Cowparade NC, Black and White Bovine

Time to start the clear coating.

Cowparade NC - Black and White BoVine.  hilary clement, artist

Black and White Bovine - NC Cowparade

All the vines now have their 2nd coat!  I just have to paint the back hooves.  My handsome assistant, Andrew, is going to help me inspect the entire cow for any areas that need sharpened or cleaned up.  After that 1 layer of gel medium and then several coats of gloss varnish. 

I apologize that I cannot take a picture that isn't blurry without the flash or the tripod.  I'll post better pictures when it is complete. 

I have painted about 16 - 18 total hours total between today and yesterday!  After the first few hours I had to put on my reading glasses (I hate getting old).  Last night I dreamed of these vines.  But this is still FUN.

Cowparade NC cow - Black and White Bovine

Just the legs and rear to go!!!

How Do You Paint A Cow?

Step one.  Layout the basic design.  I chalked mine on with sidewalk chalk which is a much cheaper version of charcoal which I sometimes use for murals.  Since the cow is pristine white, I didn't want the black charcoal to smear all over when I touched it.  The chalk hardly smears at all and wipes clean easier.  Here are a couple of pics with just the chalk.

Step Two.  Start painting.  This is the scary step!  Painting these lines requires a steady hand which I don't really have.  I have to stabilize my arm and remember to breath out while I make each line.  This may look easy to paint, but it is tedious.  But still FUN!  I love this cow.


The first few vines....

It is Saturday night and I have covered about 1/4 of the cow.  I hope to get most of it done tomorrow and go over all of the vines again for a 2nd coat.  Something I'm not used to is having to keep my hands clean the entire time I'm painting.  If I don't, the white will have black fingerprints all over it.

I've just done the easy parts so far.  To paint the belly you have to get under the cow like a mechanic.  I should get one of those skateboard like things they lay on to roll under the cars. 

more tomorrow!!

I want to keep this cow.

We went to Durham today, just beside the Bulls stadium to pick up the cow.  You can see some of the cows lined up in the warehouse.  Sorry the picture is a little blurry.  I was really nervous up until this point, but when I saw it I got soooo excited! 

Andrew and I put it in the back of the truck.  It weighs about 120lbs, so it is not as heavy as it looks.  First stop was Jerry's Artarama to get massive amounts of paint. 

Then we brought it home and moved it into the house.

Here's where I should say, "Oh, excuse the mess in my studio.  It's not usually this messy."  But, that would be  lie.  It is usually this messy.  About every 3 or 4 months I have to clean it up, but, I swear, the minute I start on a new project, it's a wreck all over again.

I had to remove the bubble wrap, which I need to save, so I cut it under the chin down the belly and legs so that I could pull it off like footed pajamas.  Hopefully it will slide back on easily when we take it back August the 10th.  If we take it back.  'Cause I LOVE it, and really want to keep it!!! 

Ta-Da!  Here it is without the bubble wrap....

Beautiful!  You can't tell it, but the two pictures below are after about an hour of work.  The cow comes primed, but I have to paint it white and then once it dries, paint on the black design.  One coat is done, the second coat I'll do tomorrow morning.  The clock is ticking!

I turned in three designs.  The one that was selected is called "Black and White Bovine."  It has a simple, but elegant black vine that swirls along the lines of the cow.  I want to finish up by August 7th so that the varnish will be completely dry for the August 10th trip back to Durham.  No Pressure ;)

I'm Gonna Have a Cow!

Just got news today that I will be painting a cow for the NC Cowparade to benefit the Children's Hospital.  Good news, but I am a little disappointed.  My cow design didn't actually get a corporate sponsor (yet).  The hospital liked my design and wanted it done, which is an honor.  I still may pick up a corporate sponsor these last few weeks.  We go pick her up on Sunday and she has to be done by the 10th!  I am putting a link to the website.  I'm going to document the whole process, so tune in for further info/pictures.  I know you'll be waiting on the edge of your seats. 

www.cowparadenc.com

Portrait

Here is another portrait that I started a few months back and just haven't completed it yet.  I plan on smoothing out the face finishing the eye on the right and putting detail on the arms and hands.  Fun to paint!



OK.  It's been a year since I started this painting and I have not finished it, so I think I'll start working on it again, although the model has grown a lot since then.

 

Blue Hydrangea  18x24  oil on canvas