Commission for Holstein Association

My best days begin at 4am.  Getting two hours of painting in before I get the kids up for school make me happy inside and out. I am working hard right now on my next commission project, and so I awoke this morning at 3:45am, dressed quickly, followed my nose to the kitchen for a cup of freshly brewed Joe (life is great, now that I have learned how to program my coffee maker the night before : ) and was in my 'painting chair' by 4:05.  This assignment is special.  It is something I have wanted for the past 20 years or so.  It is the project that has idled at the top of my TO DO list, with a dream of it making it happen 'someday'.  Well someday has arrived.  The Holstein Association of America has commission me to recreate and paint the new True Type Model Cow and Bull.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it could be compared to Mr. and Mrs. America contest.  I am painting the ideal model cow and bull for the Holstein industry...the type of animals every dairyman would love to own and have in their own barn.  Animals that mirror an almost perfect score of 100 for body type and confirmation.  I feel as though I have been preparing for this job for almost half of my life, and now, the journey is on.  I completed the foundation layer of creating the frame and body composition of both animals about a month ago.  I am well into the next stage now, which is the first 'pass' of painting in color, bringing these animals to life.  The paintings are already taking shape and by the end of next week, will hopefully be near a halfway point.  In addition to being a super exciting project, I am working on the largest canvas size ever.  Both of these paintings measure 36 x 48 - I can't see out when I am sitting behind them working - it is a new, and slightly intimidating experience, to paint this large. Besides painting - my adrenalin runs wild this time of the year - with the onset of spring!! Although we had an extremely mild winter - there are few things in life that invigorate and energize me (and most people) than the world coming alive around you, opening your windows to fresh air, and of course seeing the first Robin! HAPPY SPRING! Back to work -  thanks for reading... Bonnie