A commission to paint pigs is in the works.  This includes me taking photographs for reference, and I thought I would share one with you that is just too cute to believe.
Don't tell the cows, but as cute as a calf is, I really don't think there is any animal quite as cute as a piglet!
Case in point:

These two are almost two week old KuneKune piglets.   I have been commissioned by the breeder to do a painting, and it was my pleasure to visit the farm and take photos of these little guys!

Expect some work to be available from me as well.

An observation from the shoot, pigs are much shorter than cows.  Much squatting, much leg soreness the following day!

A new commission I am working on is of a beautiful Holstein Heifer named Da-iry.  She has spent two years being raised as a 4-H project by Emily, and a very insightful idea of
Emily's Mom is to have a painting done of Da-iry. 

Da-iry is a character I must say, and she presented quite an amusing challenge as a model!

When I'm taking reference photos for a commission there isn't usually a specific goal, only to get something that captures the personality of the subject, and with animals you never know what that will end up being.  Also when it comes to animals, you had better be patient!

I visited two times, and did my best to get some good reference without Da-iry's head down grazing the lawn or up eating leaves off of a tree, or sticking her tongue between the fence to try and get some food out of the goats dish.  Da-iry is on a mission, and that mission is to eat.

I was amused and delighted to no end as I watched Da-iry traverse back and forth looking for mischief!
First stop was this area, which to eat, the tree or the dry grass....

Where to next? Hey, wait, there is some leftover food in the goat's dish,
I think I can reach it with my tongue...

The only thing that could get her attention and lure her away from her mission
was a can of grain.  You will see it being held directly above her head in this picture:

and below her head in this one....

...but as soon as the grain was not available....a beeline back to the goat
dish....at warp speed (well as warp speed as a pregnant cow can have, and
it's actually quite impressive!)

Yes, Da-iry had a great time being a model!
Including but not limited to admiring her reflection, as models are inclined to do:

...and  drawing an audience from the Llamas next door:

I got more than a few pictures like this:


Anyone who thinks my job is easy.....all of this in about 100 degree heat...
It's a labor of love however, I would not trade it for anything!
Thanks to the patience of Emily, the owner, her Mother and Me, I got several keepers for future paintings, and am sure it will be difficult
for this 4-H girl's Mom to choose which one do to the commissioned work
from, but as a consolation she will be getting more than 100 absolutely priceless pictures of her daughter and Da-iry from this shoot to look back on in years to come, in addition to
the painting.

I could not have been more amused, love cows,  love my job, can't wait to immortalize Da-iry!

(I'll be posting some works in progress once the final decision is made.)

This is a 12"x16" original oil painting of a Texas Longhorn cow and her calf.
Mom is chewing of course, but I most loved the baby calf in this nuzzling
mama.

This painting is available, please contact the studio for information.