Ms Hilda - Cow Painting

Ms Hilda Cow Painting

24x24 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I painted this cow from a reference photo I took of one of my son's cows last summer.  The grays on her coat were very unusual.  They seemed to reflect the green hues from the pasture she was grazing in.  There were blue grays, green grays and even some beige colored grays depending on the way she was turned in the sun.   Red seemed to be the color that looked best in the background.  The colorful background seemed more complementary to her over-all appearance.  Click this listing if interested in buying her:)

Still Life Painting of Chocolate and Vanilla Dessert

Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding Dessert Still Life

6x8 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

 

This little still life painting was from a dessert my grandchildren and I made for dinner.  It had chocolate and vanilla pudding placed in a dessert glass.  After we layered the pudding we topped it with canned whip cream and a cherry.  It was fun; however, I had just as much fun painting it in a small composition. It is for sale on Etsy.  For more details on this little 6x8 painting click here.

Down The Road - Tree Landscape Painting

Down The Road

12"x12" Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I try to paint nearly every day.  Some days I'm successful in accomplishing my goals and some days I have focusing problems!  Some days I look out my studio window which is upstairs in my home, and I see cattle grazing across the road and/or I might have a moment or two giving into a daydream.  Here in Oklahoma we have been experiencing very cold and record-breaking temperatures for the past week and one-half.  The trees that were turning to shades of yellows, rusts and browns are beginning to lose their leaves now and soon will be gray and brown stumps and limbs across winter green pastures.  This painting was a scene of trees about one-fourth mile from our home.  I can see a long ways from my studio...or here in Oklahoma, we might say over yonder!(lol).  I took a picture and this is a cropped view of what I saw that warm day that has turned cold, gray and wintery now.  It is listed in my Etsy store.  Thanks for coming by.

Ms Abby - Cow Painting

Ms Abby - Cow Painting

20x20 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Painting cows are a delight for me.  I have many references of cattle.  My husband and I are now retired, but we have raised lots of cows in our own time; however, in this post besides showing you my latest painting, I want to tell you a little about my son.   He is in the cattle business in a very big way (the reason I have fresh and more recent cow image resources).  I've mentioned him in earlier posts.  He is a busy person with his job, raising anywhere from 450-650 head of cattle at different times of the year.  He also raises sheep and pigs (rather on a small scale) for his children who are involved in livestock shows.  He also farms and grazes approximately 2,000 acres of grassland, wheat and soybeans.  In addition to all this, he preaches at a small church in our community every Sunday.  Next to my husband I guess I could say that I admire him more than any other man I know.  I have two other men whom I'll share about in another post sometime.  He loves his children and spends time with them.....how he does this I do not have a clue except he has help from Someone Higher than any of us.....a Divine Help!  Of course by now some have decided to quit reading this rather long post, but if you have not....Ms Abby the cow presented in this painting is listed in my Etsy store.   Click to see her.  Thanks for coming by. 

Red Watering Can, Country Cuptowel, Yellow Lemons and White Daisies

Red Watering Can and Yellow Lemons

12x12 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Visit here for details.

Autumn Santa

Autumn Camouflage

11x14 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

This is a month that people enjoy opportunities to dress up, hide their identity, or simply use other people's identity or character as a temporary role for foolery, trickery or a good laugh.   I love mystery and intrigue; however, I'm past the age to get into full swing in planning a costume for a one-evening party.  BUT, recently I've been thinking about my yearly Christmas themed projects and decided that I would paint several Santa's before Christmas.  This is my first project.  I have a lot of old-world Santa décor that I've collected through the years.  They have such charm, simplicity and they inspire me to imagine some new stylistic portraits to try my hand at.  I think this guy would be a Santa trying to conceal his identity before the Christmas season.  Maybe he is planning his route.  Maybe he is checking out who has been good before the season.  Maybe.....just maybe he likes to conceal his identity.

Click here if you would like to purchase. 

Cherries on Napkin - Small Still Life Painting

Cherries on Napkin

6x8 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I hate to be inconsistent in posting on my blog; however, life has many detours!  I'm working on two very large commission projects so I haven't had the time to paint or post lately.  Here is an offering until I can get other things done.  It is in my Etsy shop.  You can follow by clicking here.

Still Life Oil Painting - Owl Planter and Harvest Gourds

Mr Owl and Harvest Gourds

8x10 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Sometimes as artists we have to paint things that are really fun!  We have to relax and allow our creative energy to express something that we find either amusing, comforting or even alarming!  Recently I lost my mother and I was gifted with many beautiful green plants.  After about a month some of them needed repotting.  So I began a journey to find flowering pots that would look good with my very eclectic home décor.  I must say that I'm very conservative when it comes to adding accessories of this nature to my farmhouse style.  First, I do not have a green thumb, second I want plain things to work into my already over-eclectic furnishings because I have a tendency to make "stuff" statements rather than "good" statements about my life style.

But.....My mother loved birds and living things and as I shopped for pots to house these wonderful plants given in her memory, I decided to get a few that would remind me of her and so.........the owl planter made it to my cart:)

 

I loved painting this quick little study.  This painting can be found in my Etsy store.  Just click here if you are interested.

Three Tomatoes Set on a Sill

Three Tomatoes Set on a Sill

6x18 Original Oil Painting on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I have  shared on previous posts about the nice people who have brought garden produce as gifts to my husband and I.  What good friends we have!!  They shared with us because our garden turned out to be a flop!  We only harvested onions in the spring and a very bad tasting watermelon later in the season.  A few circumstances of life visited us this year that created a challenge for us to keep it up and running.  However, we enjoyed these gifts of ripe peaches, corn on the cob, and a bounty of tomatoes in several different ways of preparation (lol).  I prepared them first in still compositions that made my mouth water and then we prepared them for eating!  I love to paint red things.  Red shouts energy, excitement and love!  We received our friends' love over and over:)  It is for sale here.

Red Tomatoes and Peach Toned Creamer Still Life Painting

Red Tomatoes and Peach Toned Creamer

6x8 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I love this little creamer that I acquired recently and I couldn't decide what I wanted to place with it for a painting.  I liked the way the tomatoes looked with it and decided to paint it the first time in reds and greens.  It is listed in my Etsy store.  Click here.

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches!

Bowl of Peaches

12x12 Original Oil Painting

Cheri Wollenberg

 

Recently, some friends of ours from church gifted us with some peaches.  They were beautiful.  They said that this had been one of those years the peaches did well.  They had been healthy, didn't need much maintenance and weren't wormy in spite of not having been treated.  How good is this????  Oklahoma has such extreme conditions on their fruit trees, vegetable and flower gardens.  When we get a good year with moisture at the right time, we can have a harvest dance (lol), just before we eat our crops!  They tasted heavenly and I was so delighted when one of them still had leaves attached to it.  The leaves brought the natural and fresh look I needed when composing them in a still life.  Loved doing this one and I did a small 6x6 painting of them below:  Both can be found in my Etsy store.

 

Pair of Peaches

6x6 Original Oil Painting

Cheri Wollenberg

Elvira - A Cow Painting

 

 

 

Elvira - A Cow Painting

30x30 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

 

 

"Elvira" is a large 30x30 oil painting of a crossbred Charolais cow. This portrait of her is set against a neutral colored background to feature the light that is wrapping around her neck, ears and head. The blues on her coat are not quite as vivid as the image shows.  The light was not quite right when I photographed her and there was a lot of flashing so I had to make adjustments on my camera and it didn't work quite right:)  This is on my to-do list so you can return to see a better image.  Her ears are perked up and she is ready to be viewed on a mantel or any eating area (kitchen) décor.

Elvira can be bought in my Etsy store here.

 

Tomatoes 2014

Two Tomatoes And a Cup Towel

8x10 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

You can find this painting in my Etsy store by clicking here.

Black Rooster Oil Painting

Black Rooster In Sunset

16x20x1.5 Original Oil Painting

Cheri Wollenberg

Circumstances have kept me from following through on my creative thoughts about new paintings during the last several months.  However, my mind never lets up!  I see paintings in almost every circumstance and event daily!  I live in a rural part of central Oklahoma.  It has been terribly hot with hot, forceful winds parching the earth's soil and foliage during the last couple of weeks.  The grasshoppers are having a hayday.....that is, until we let our new chickens out to graze!(lol).  Recently I was with my husband as we let our lovely poultry crew out to graze.  I had to run back to the house to get my camera.  It was so hot, but those birds love chasing the grasshoppers.  I took loads of photos and this young rooster perked his head up once...beautiful black against the sundown sky.  It was really magnificent!  I painted him as soon as I could.  The painting does not do him or the sunset justice, but it was a delight to do:)  He is listed and for sale in my Etsy store. Just click. 

Fresh Peaches Still Life Painting by Cheri Wollenberg

Fresh Peaches

6x8 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Adding posts to my blog has sadly diminished again this month!  Personal circumstances have taken priority over my passion for painting, but I'm ready to heal and take my brush in hand and create some small works from things that have inspired me.  Since our lives have been on hold for the past few months we had given up on gardening.  We missed the fresh garden produce.  However, a couple of families in church have gifted us with some beautiful and tasty tomatoes and peaches.  I couldn't resist painting them.  Here as a painting is a sampling of the peaches we were given.  This small painting is listed in my Etsy store.  Have a look here.

Cow Painting - Ms July

Ms July - Hereford Cow Painting

20x30 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Ms July is a Hereford cow.  I enjoy painting Herefords with colors in the natural environment of Oklahoma.  The soil where I live is very red and the greens of the pastures, trees, and grass are complementary in color schema.  In the winter the cattle graze on the wintered gray and beige grasses in pastures that accentuate their coats that have become dark rust in color and hairy.  The blues and grays of distant trees create a beautiful palette.  Reflections of the variety of moods in the sky complete beautiful color to translate to a canvas.  Ms July is listed in my Etsy store.....here!

George - Painting of Multi-Colored Goat

George - The Multi-Colored Goat

14x14 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

George is "George of the barnyard" instead of the jungle!  He is another one of the goats that my son photographed.  I think I've had more fun than he did as he shot the images!  He said there were so many of them that it was impossible to take photographs of each one individually.  He said it was a most enjoyable event:)  I certainly love painting them.  George has so many rustic sienna shades, natural and earthy shades that are so raw or un-man-made.  I may go in and touch some of the brightest (not lightest) shades of the sienna colors because they really need some variation.  In the natural light (not the photo) I'm sure they were almost orange to light yellow ochre.  This is really the problem with doing things from photos....you really can't see the shades accurately; however, you can do a lot of interpretation and expression......thus the fun of being the Painter!  George is listed in my Etsy store.  Just a click away!!!!

White Goat Painting - Charlie

White Goat Painting - Charlie

10x20 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

What fun it was to paint Charlie!  He is a white goat with long, twisting horns.  His long white hair is layered in dozens of shades of whites that reflect his surroundings and the natural pinks of his skin.  I decided to paint him on this very oblong format to enhance the nature and design of his horns. I must tell you that he is from a photo that my son took of dozens of these kind of goats.  I do not know how he could keep form getting tangled up with all of the other ones because they all looked alike!!!!  Beautiful and enticing design for compositions of all kinds.  Design elements and principles examples galore!!! Charlie can be found in my Etsy store.  Take a look here.

Cow Painting - Tess

Tess

18x18 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Tess is a white faced cow with large spots around her eyes. She has a black nose and her hair comes out of two cow licks.  Her long face gives wins her a look of esteem or respect from a viewer.  I get tired of using the same backgrounds of blues and greens when painting so many cows so I like to change things up and try some other colors.  In the photograph I was painting from she was surrounded by some Hereford cows and their coats of rusty reds gave the idea that the rusty sienna, gold, orange and umbers would be interesting.  Give her a look in my Etsy store.  Have a good day:)

Cinnamon The Cow - Now Better Than Ever!

Cinnamon

16x20x1 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I painted Cinnamon the Cow several months ago.   I liked painting her but there was something that bothered me, and I couldn't quite pin point the problem. She has lots of texture in her red, Hereford coat and face.  Her hair is thick and curly.  The picture I painted was from a photo I took during winter which explains her rich, thick coat.  Part of the reason I couldn't see where the problem was because I focused too much on her beautiful coat. I loved the hair and enjoyed expressing the texture of her coat so much that I jeopardized the design of the painting.  The image below is of the painting before I tweaked her.  Her neck was wrong, her eyes were wrong and the turn of her eyes were wrong!!!!!!  Oh my goodness....it has taken 6 months to figure out all this and I have corrected those things the last several days.  I'm a "happy camper" artist now.  I still adore the curly, thick hair.  Below is an image of her previously.  Compare and send me comments.  I welcome them.  She can be found in my Etsy store here.

Have a good weekend!
Cheri

Blue and Yellow Still Life Painting

Blue and Yellow Still Life

6x8 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

How time gets away!  Writing sometimes takes longer then painting!  This little still life painting features a Blue Willow Pitcher that I purchased several years ago.  I have painted it so many times and I love the sparkle that it brings to compositions with yellows, oranges and rusts.  This is a small daily painting that I finished several weeks ago.  It is featured in my Etsy store.  Have a look:)  Blue and Yellow!

Rooster Painting II for May 2014

Mr Brilliant

16x20 Original Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Mr. Brilliant is a fluffy rooster with yellow, black and white, brown and gold feathers.  I took pictures of him and five others recently along with the prettiest hens and baby chicks.  They were ranging in a yard at a nearby home.  It was so much fun to see them scramble around as we drove up to the fence.  My husband feeds our hens and rooster a snack everyday.  I think these must have that little snack provided by their master too.  As we got out of our vehicle to take the pictures they all started running to the fence as if they were anticipating something or someone.  When they found out that were only there to admire them, they waddled off in the high grass.  So cute to see their feathered behinds running away from us.  This painting is one of several I have finished this month.  You can find it by clicking this link.

Animal Painting of a Goat - Mr. Handsome

Mr. Handsome

14x18 Original Oil Painting

Cheri Wollenberg

Thanks for stopping by.  I am glad to be back and blogging. It has been quite some time since I last posted. A change in my domain caused my blog to be down for a month.  I've painted a lot of paintings during that time, and I'm anxious to share them all with you.  Mr. Handsome is one of the goats I painted from a collection of photos my son took while working in Texas.  He has a customer who has a herd of goats and they are beautiful.  Each goat has a different design quality in texture, color and shape.  This particular goat has three horns...WOW.  The hairs on his chest were flowing in the wind which lent to the composition movement.  He has blacks,browns,sienna browns and ecru whites throughout the design of his face and coat hair. I thought this mustard green made a perfect background for his portrait.  He was a delight to paint, and I look forward to painting others.  This goat painting is for sale here.

Red Watering Pitcher - Still Life Oil Painting

Red Watering Pitcher and White Snowball Flowerettes

12x12 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I paint a lot of red things!  When I see red items at a department store, home interior boutique, or flea market I get excited.  This little painting didn't take too long to arrange and paint.  I wanted to get right to it and express color.  You can find it by clicking RED.  Thanks for stopping by.  Please visit again.

Lizzy Has A Bad Hair Day - Animal Painting of Cow Named Lizzy

Lizzy Has A Bad Hair Day

16x20 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I think every female at some time in their life has had a bad hair day!  I visited with my aunt a few days ago and she told me that her day started out bad and for some unknown reason she had not had any good things happen to her.  Her sweet smile indicated to me that her attitude was positive and ready for the good to happen.  We all experience bad days.  Hair makes a lot of difference to some of us and certainly can make a difference in the start of a day. The photo of this cute cow reveals that maybe some cows experience the same thing.  What fun it is for me to make a story from this!!!!  Her hair is between winter and summer coats.  She is a crossbred Charolais cow and she gleamed in the sunlit, green wheat pasture.  The yellow whites against the green created a beautiful and inviting image for me to paint, but I chose warm colors instead for a background in this composition.  I haven't placed her in my Etsy store yet; however, you can click here to go straight to my store,http://www.etsy.com/shop/chatterboxart .  She will be there soon!  You can click on the Etsy widget to the right of this post too.

HAVE A GOOD HAIR DAY!

Gene's Ducks

Gene's Ducks

6x6 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

(SOLD)

When my husband and I moved back to Oklahoma we decided to do some things that we had never tried before....sort of a bucket list!  We always raised cattle on our farms before the ministry called us far away from our farm home in southwest Oklahoma.  So, cattle are not new to us; however, considering some things we thought we would do after moving back to our roots was our decision to raise a few chickens.  I cannot tell anyone enough about this "trip".  We have had some hilarious moments.  We have a neighbor...a bachelor friend...who also raises some chickens....Gene.  He has a beautiful variety of breeds of chickens and roosters.  One day when we visited him I took lots of pictures of roosters, chickens and these wonderful ducks.  Did you know that they will not pose for photographs (lol)!?  I kept following them all over the place.  It was such great fun and I managed to get a few photos to paint. This little painting was one of them.  I placed it in my Etsy store and it disappeared very quickly......Someone else is experiencing the same love for those cute little white ducks as I did.......I would love to invite you to my new Website and Gallery.   

Strawberry Duet

Strawberry Duet

6x8 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

These two delicious, red strawberries were a couple that were in my last strawberry painting.  I still cannot get over how large they were.  My husband and I went to the same market yesterday to purchase a carton, but all of them of that particular brand had disappeared.  Many times when strawberries get that large their flavor is somehow diminished.  This was not the case for these delicious fruit.  PLUS, they were perfect for still lifes!!!  My goodness how much fun they were to paint.  This particular small painting of of the Strawberry Duet can be purchased in my Etsy store by clicking here.

Blue Creamer and French Cup and Saucer Still Life Painting

Blue Creamer and French Cup and Saucer

8x10 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Just before Christmas I was looking for a cup and saucer for a still life painting that would look nice in a large custom still life painting I've been commissioned to do.  The buyer wanted something that would look good with French Country Décor.  As I researched the particular décor I found that copper, roosters, sunflowers, and French pottery was usually incorporated in kitchens and dining rooms.  So, I was delighted when shopping in this little Antique shop to find a cup and saucer signed by the French name of Henriot Quimper.  This small still life was a practice composition to work on designs and color before painting the larger composition for my customer.  This painting can be found in my Etsy store here.

Strawberries and Vintage Blue Glass Creamer Still Life Painting

Strawberries and Vintage Blue Glass Creamer

12x12 Oil Painting on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Thank you for stopping by to visit my blog.  Usually I'm singing my woes that I cannot find the time to paint, but during the last couple of weeks I've painted very consistently full time.  But, to get them posted is another issue!  Spending a great deal of time in one task always takes from another.  Don't you love strawberries! These strawberries were so huge!  My husband and I ate them within 4 days and literally two of them made a huge helping (lol).  When I buy fruit one of the first things I think of is how beautiful!  How Beautiful!  What a blessing it is to eat beautiful food and then in my case, arrange them so that I can make them last longer by painting them in still lifes!!!!  Even in all the snow and bad weather we have had here in Oklahoma we can go to a market and buy beautiful and delicious fruit to eat!  How blessed we are in this life.  This medium to small sized painting is listed in my Etsy store.  You are invited anytime to take a look here.

Still Life Painting of Rose Decorated Cup and Saucer

Roses Cup and Saucer Still Life Painting

8x10 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

I love shabby chic décor!  I have always had a weakness for pretty, feminine things and for years my husband tolerated our bedroom in Victorian and Shabby Chic style of décor.  He is a sport:)  I also love painting roses, so every once in a while I just have to paint flowers or an item that has floral décor.  This painting of a cup with red and bright pink roses is listed on my Etsy website here.

Clyde - Portrait of a Suffolk Lamb

Clyde

14x14 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Clyde is a Suffolk lamb.  He is gentle and dependent on his master.  He is very well cared for.  He eats only the best food and his stalls are kept clean and perfectly comfortable.  He is shown in stock shows among other lambs who have been tenderly loved, groomed and exercised to reach their maximum beauty and muscular fitness.  His master thinks he is the best lamb in the show ring.  He is loved unconditionally and will always have a place in the heart of his master.  Such is the life of a show lamb who belongs to 4-H and FFA children.  This original painting was done as a gift for a friend's daughter.  Prints may be purchased of him on my Fine Art America artist website here:

http://cheri-wollenberg.artistwebsites.com

 

 

 

Blue Willow Pitcher And Brillian Yellow Lemons

Blue Willow and Yellow Lemons

12x12 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Blue and white dishes are so beautiful when paired with yellows and oranges.  A nice combination like this is cheery during the cold weather in Oklahoma.  I enjoyed painting it.  You can find it here.

Cow Painting - Sweetheart and Friends

Sweetheart and Friends

16x20 Oil on Canvas

Cheri Wollenberg

Painting cows is something that I have been doing for about 20 years now.  I still get so much pleasure watching them, photographing them and naming them.  I enjoy and am inspired by other subject matter, but animals seem to give me an extra amount of creative power; therefore, I feel at ease in expressing myself.  Thanks for coming by and looking at my new posts for the New Year of 2014.  You can find out more about this painting by clicking on the title or here:  Click