In the Works: Longhorn, New Braunfels, TX

There is something clean about the Texas landscape, simple and broad, uniformly bright-- something beautiful to behold in person and important to note when attempting to express mood or atmosphere in a painting. When I was in New Braunfels recently, I got the chance to see several longhorns, including this one and her "new baby". Fascinated, I watched them graze, huff at the bark of a dog, wander about in their native landscape, and I took mental note of their distinguishing features, knowing that I would be eager to do a "longhorn painting" upon returning to Huntsville. Here is a peek at the development of the recently-completed work!
I wanted the image to be well-delineated, so I began by painting directly on the canvas using a darker green.
My palette remained simple and clean to reflect the feeling of the land and the bold Texan "Big Sky".
I began by building up greens in the background, leaving other colors for later.
I continued to fill the canvas, added highlights wherever necessary, then I carefully painted the sides of the canvas a deep green so that it would be ready to display. It currently hangs in my studio, where it will dry for the next few days.

[8.5X11 and 11X14 signed prints are available for $17 and $30 respectively; if you are interested in purchasing the original painting, please inquire!]