The photo reference for this painting was taken at one of this year's brandings. This cowboy is a well practiced roper and was all business that day. I am thinking of doing a series of 12 5"x5" paintings like this one of cowboys/girls, cows, horses, dogs, and general ranch life. They will sell for $75 unframed. Here's your chance to own one or more of my original paintings for the price of a print. Please let me know if this might be something you would be interested in.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

I almost always paint from either my husband's photos or my own photos, with few exceptions. The photo reference for the Third Crossing was a from Double Rafter Cattle Drives in Ranchester, Wyoming, www.doublerafter.com. Of course, I obtained permission to use the photo.

According to Dana at Double Rafter, the Third Crossing is where the mail route crossed the Little Horn River for the third time when delivering mail to the gold miners at Bald Mountain Gold City around the turn of the century.  Getting cattle through Third Crossing is still a challenge today.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

 

This little fellow is a Texas Longhorn calf from a ranch near where I live. He was a pet who followed everyone around and had the run of the place. I thought he was too cute to pass up and had inteneded to paint him for several years, but I finally got around to it while showing art at a local event called Western Christmas in Redmond, Oregon. It proved to be a great show for me and I sold two originals and several prints. It was a spectacular show with quality vendors rivaling the Cowboy Christmas show in Las Vegas.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

This artwork is on hold because I have submitted it to the Empire 100 show in Arizona.

Well, I'm in Montana at the show. I started and finished this yesterday. It's not the best photo, but it's the best I could do with a bunch of people in the way. I plan to tone down the orange cross on the chaps, but it's essentially done. I'm having a contest with the people who come by to suggest titles. It's been a lot of fun to discover how people interpret it. Most think his horse took off, or he's wondering why his wife isn't there yet, with his lunch, or that he's been stranded. I'm accepting suggestions until Sunday afternoon when I choose the winner. It just feels so good to be painting again.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

Finally, I have started my first painting of 2011! I am using a photo that his wife sent to me. She is quite a good photographer. The light in the photo is great and the background is all dusty. The horizontals are just references for a fence that will probably be very faint in the painting. I'm looking for a name for this one. I was kind of thinking of "Of Her Dreams" or "Man of Dreams" something like that. Maybe his wife will come up with something. Tomorrow, I am off to Monatana for a week-long show and my hope is to finish this there. Don't know if there will room, but that's my hope. If I can, I will send shots of the painting and the show periodically. Wish me luck.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

This was very challenging--three portraits in one painting. It's very difficult to keep the same skin tones and techniques for each kid. I really hope the kids are happy with the way I portray them. Last thing I ever want to do with portraits is have them hate it.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

 

The Anderson kids are quite the crew of personalities, and they are some of my grandkids. The photo was taken while we were in Yellowstone and their hair was blowing and covering eyes. It was a challenge to calm down the hair and get their eyes right when I couldn't really see them in the photo. As you can see, I did not do my drawing in burnt sienna paint as I usually do. Usually, I don't care if I capture a likeness, but these are my kids and I really want to capture them. So, I drew them in pencil. It takes me about a day and a half to paint each face and I will fine tune them at the end. I can't wait to get Angus started. He's a sweetheart with a special twinkle in his eye.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

Here it is all finished. As you can see, everyone agreed about changing that bush to aspens. Much nicer, I think. This was a fun one to paint and I'm thrilled with the outcome.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

At this point I've laid in most of the darks, a few mid-tones and the light water. Not sure I like the bush on the left--thinking about a grove of fall aspens instead. Might be much prettier that way. Let me know what you think.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

I decided to include my photo because my drawing is so rough. As you can see it is a beautiful photo...hope the painting will be even more spectacular.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

I love the feeling of "all is well with the world" that I get from this painting. I hope you feel it too. I'm not sure I like the title, though. It's okay, but maybe one of you has a better idea.

Faye Taylor - Western Artist

As you can see, I'm going for a more painterly, contemporary style with this one. Still have a ways to go with it, but the feeling I was hoping for is coming through.

Not sure I like the broccoli in the background, so that will have to be changed. But I like the rest. I'm going for a contemporary rendering of this pastoral scene. We'll see how I do.

I love these round bales. Some farmers produce the round ones and some do square ones, but the round ones seem so retro and a bit of farmland Americana. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Well, here it is all done and I'm happy with it. What a handsome pair of cowboys.

Not a lot of obvious changes--didn't get much time today, but I did get the fringe on his chaps pretty much done and the big guys face pretty well done. I guess that's not a bad days work, but it's going slower than usual.

It's coming along nicely, but I'm not satisfied with the little guys jacket and jeans, yet. I'll get those nailed in my next session and probably get faces, ropes, and fringe in--so everything but background. I'm very happy with the big guys jacket.

This is the stage that I really love--it begins to come alive. As always, I started by painting in the darks first moving to mid-values and beginning to add lights. The fringe on his chaps and the rope will be the last things going in before the background, because they are laid in over darks. This is really a fun one.

My husband took this photo at a branding recently. I fell in love with the image of the older cowboy chatting with the little cowboy. I think perhaps the little guy might have been advising the big guy, but who knows? I had to change a sheerer to a rope, because it just makes for a better painting and I moved the boy and man closer together than they were in the photo. That's what's so nice about painting--I can change things.

   
These calves are ready to rumble. The white one is my favorite and I think his face is a focal point. Not sure I like the concentration of blue at the right side corners, especially the top. What do you think?

These fellas just look like they're up to no good. Had a good painting session today, but still need to work on the red calf. This photo was taken at least a year ago--wonder what they look like now.

I thought I would have at least 2 hours of painting time yesterday, but was I ever wrong. I think I got maybe 30 min. I always start with darks and work my way to the lights and I did get quite a bit of canvas covered, even in that short time. The calf on the left is mostly white, so not a lot of dark darks on him. These little guys are so cute.

These are very young longhorn calves on a nearby ranch. It was a wonderful photo with one white, one black, and one red calf. The canvas is 10X27 and will be priced at $1,200.

     
Wow, I have to say completing this one feels great. I think I put in about four hours on it and I'm happy with the results. It's just such a sweet moment. I've chosen some other calf photos I want to do, I hope you enjoy them.

This one just feels so sweet. A few years ago a friend of mine invited me out to photograph her longhorn herd. This cow actually has a beautiful set of curvy horns, but when I tried to include the horns, it became more about them that it was about the cow/calf connection...so I cropped them out to make it a much more interesting painting. I know I said I was going to concentrate on landscapes for awhile, but I changed my mind--it's my nature.

Well, I'm back to the cowboys. I chose this one because the light was so nice, accentuating the wrinkles in his shirt.

 
Take me home, country road... That John Denver song just kept playing in my head as I painted this quaint country scene. Like my last landscape this one is 8X22 and is also a gallery wrapped painting. I'm really diggin' this format. I painted this quite fast, taking only about 2 hours, in studio.

As you can see, I changed the name. Sometimes a painting simply changes and becomes better than imagined--this one just felt like it should be early morning. I love how the light leads you into the center of interest. Hard to see it in such a small version, but there is a little white farm house with a red roof in under the trees. This painting is a gallery wrap, meaning the sides are also painted, so it does not require a frame. The size is 8X22 and the price is $792.

   
My commission piece is at a standstill until my clients return from vacation, so I decided to start another painting while I wait. I took this photo a long time ago and it has been calling me. This is a scene just down the road from me. There's an old house and barn that the cows go in and out of. Seems like such a shame to let everything just go to the cows, but it's a loving scene that I often get to enjoy in person. There will be cattails in the foreground in front of the old fence. I need your input. Should I leave the sky like it is, or paint in a pale blue sky?

Not sure the title fits anymore. The look in her eyes tells a story. Not sure if it should be "If Looks Could Kill," or "Determination," but something along those lines. I'm open to suggestions--and I like cliches. Give me your best shot.

Still have lots to do on this one, so one or two more sessions. I wish I could make this image larger, but software prohibits it. Her expression is killer and I'm thrilled with how her face came out. I would not want to be in her line of sight.

On another note, one of the galleries handling my work is closing their doors. If any of you know of a good western gallery, I'd sure appreciate hearing about it.

Got lots done on it today. Her hat's too pink and her horse is too dark, but I'll get that in my next session. She'll also get her skin.

Which one is saddle bred? The rider or the horse? Both. I had never seen such a lean, long-legged horse before used for roping calves let alone 1,300 lb. cows. But this horse, even though skinny and frail looking, still had so much heart that she worked like a quarter horse. The rider? Easily one of the best all around cowgirls I have ever met and definitely bred for the saddle. It is in her blood.
Faye Taylor - Western Artist

The ladies are done. Not a lot of change, but some work on trees here and there. Hope you like it.

       
It actually only took me about 30 minutes to get the buffalo painted. The trees took a lot longer. Still have a little to do to the trees, but it's pretty much done.

Usually it's the bull that gets painted, but I thought these buffalo cows hiding in the trees were very interesting. It's a relatively small painting at 12X16 and will be $864.

I finally get a chance to finish this one. There's lots of movement in it and that's what I like about it.

Yeeeeehawww! Obviously I'm having fun with this one! Trying to keep it loose and full of motion--the hair tells it all. The background is going to be a lot of pinkish dust. As you can see I changed the title.
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I liked the movement and simplicity in this one. This young woman had just tossed her loop around the head of a 1,300 lb. heifer on the run. She is tough, accomplished, and feminine all at the same time.

It's done and I'm very happy with it! As you can see we have a new title submitted by another local artist friend, and for me, it was the perfect title. I think this is one I might submit to Oil Painters of America Western Region Show.