Denise Rich, aka The Rich Artist
Cow, Cowboy and Rodeo Western Original Oil Paintings by award winning artist, Denise Rich.
The Official Happy Cow Artist
Best known for her bovine renditions, with unique compositions and contemporary views, Denise has combined her love of animals and art in oil for the past 20 years. Denise's focus for the past several years has been cows because "Cows make me smile. I seriously can't look at one and hold back a smile. I don't just see an animal, I see a personality, and that is what I am working to present in my paintings of cows." In 2006 Denise received a commission from the California Milk Advisory Board to paint their famous Happy Cows of the Real California Milk campaign. This led to becoming "The Official Happy Cow Artist", as seen on their website. Her creative process begins with field work, taking reference photos. Cows being a favorite subject means "field work" can be taken literally, and involves careful stepping! With a signature "painterly realism" style Denise breathes life into her subjects, often bringing viewer comments of how "you could just reach out and touch them" and "I expect them to mooo".

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Questions, Comments?
If you can't use the link, just send an email to richartist@cox.net Or call me in the Studio. (619) 933-5935
This Month
June 2007
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Year Archive
View Article  Denise Rich aka The Rich Artist on Channel 10 News with Hal Clement
This is a video I took off of the television, don't look for your cell phone in the end, that's on the video.  My son had to call me as soon as it was over to say, "She paints cows, horses, dogs, birds, even her daughter and husband, but not her son who she doesn't care about...."Of course that's not true, the first thing I ever did any artwork of were pictures of my son!
View Article  Holstein Portrait, side view
I just love the way a cow's face is made, this original cow oil painting shows these fine features from the side view. 

Are You Still Here?
12"x12"
oil on stretched canvas
This painting is available, click here for details.
View Article  Holstein Calves from 'Double Trouble' return
These are the same two calves that were depicted in a previous painting titled "Double Trouble".   Something became very interesting to their right. 
This painting features some very rich, glowing colors in the shadows. 
You will want to put a light on it for the full effect.
 
Calves by the Barn
11"x14"
oil on portrait smooth canvas
This painting is available.
View Article  Another new original oil painting
This is a Charolais cow portrait in oil on linen.  I took the photo reference for this in Ramona among the same herd of cattle as the recent painting of the Hereford cow and her Black Baldy calf.
My daughter thinks it looks like Bodacious the famous Rodeo Bull.  I'm pretty sure they are from the same type of stock, but of course this is a cow, not a bull.

I really loved painting the swirls and putting a lot of subtle color in.

12"x16"
oil on stretched linen
This painting is available, for information, click here.

View Article  Black Angus cow and calf near Santa Ysabel, ca
My bovine filled corner of the world was busy getting ready, so I've got a few
paintings behind in listing new work!

This first original oil is a Black Angus Cow and Calf.  I really love how this painting looks, the sillouette style of the black cows against the rich greens really does stand out.  I loved the pose of both of them in the original photo reference, taken on the left side of the road just before you hit Dudley's Bakery in Santa Ysabel going east from Ramona.   If you drive out there much, you've probably seen them.  Then again, maybe not, sometimes I forget that not everyone has the same cow radar as I do!

The brushwork is very evident, but doesn't show up in the photograph here of the painting.  I can send you closer views if you are interested.
6"x12"
oil on gessoed masonite, my favorite support. 
The surface of this is just beautiful.
This original oil painting is Sold.