Even Cowgirls Have Dreams

"Even Cowgirls Have Dreams"

16x12 oil on linen

To be exhibited at the Out West Art Show

March 18-21, 2015

Great Falls MT

My inspiration for this painting came from a young cowgirl named Liz. Last summer I took a workshop from her father, cowboy artist Charles Dayton,  located on his family ranch in Wyoming. For 5 days we painted everything from landscapes to horses. But my favorite moments were when Liz sat as our model cuz I love to paint people. This portrait I did using a photo resource and the color study from a live painting.

While working I took pics along the way to demostrate the my process of this painting. The title, "Even Cowgirls Have Dreams" stemmed from the conversations we had during her sessions. Liz is a talented high school athlete with dreams of playing volleyball in college and my background of playing and coaching this sport made for a fun exchange.

Anyone interested in taking a workshop from Charles can do so by registering through the Jackson Hole Art Academy.

When using paint to draw I like to use 2 colors:

Dioxazine Purple and Transparent Iron Oxide Red.

These work well not only because they are both transparent colors,

but also because one is warm and one is cool.

Being able to indicate temperature as well as value during the initial

stages can help the later process flow more smoothly.

Above: End of the drawing stage

Below: beginning of the color stage

See more of my work at www.cherylkingstudios.com