Snow Cow

Oil on linen on panel, 6 x 6 inches -- SOLD

This is my first painting of the new year! I took this reference photo of  this cute calf last summer at Bristol Flat, outside of Ellensburg, WA. The calf was so white and fluffy with long fur, and dark ears, nose, and eyes. She had long white eyelashes. In the photo, she was standing in front of her mother and the water fountain, but I simplified the background as much as possible, and focused on the texture of her fur. After blocking the big shapes with brushes, I used a small palette knife to go over the underpainting to add another layer with texture, to give more illusion of depth. Toward the end, I scratched the face and body of the calf with the back end of a brush handle.