Branded Goods

Some time ago I decided that I would like to have a very small branding iron depicting the monogram motif with which I sign my paintings. If it's a small canvas I don't always use my full signature and use the monogram on it's own as I feel that it is less obtrusive. A search of the internet found that it was possible to have such an item made although they are more readily available in the US and they are certainly not without their cost especially if it's an electric one.

So I had to look at a cheaper alternative and started to look at pyrography equipment instead. A wood burning pen would do the job and it was much cheaper! I did buy such a wood burning pen some months ago and haven't had the opportunity to use it before so today I "branded" my latest two canvases which had been drying.

This is the matching "brand" on the wooden stretcher bar of the box canvas and will be how all of my work will now be marked regardless of whether it's a painting of cattle or sheep etc as that is how the work is signed on the front.

Heeland Coos

I'd wanted to paint a black Highland cow for a while but not had the opportunity until spotting this beauty at the Royal Welsh Show last year. Most of the entrants for this category were the usual red type including one which was making his debut and then it all kicked off in the arena. Haven't a clue what started it but it was like a town centre on a Friday night (I know - I've seen the Bill..well, it did lose it's appeal when it was on more than twice a week but you get the idea)

Mr Debut, probably high on sniffing that stuff they spray on their coats to make them shine which smells similar to the stainless steel and chrome cleaner from Lakeland...oh I'm digressing again, disgraced himself running amok and was promptly disqualified. But, I'll give the handler some credit - she did hang on and I bet she has a new personal best for the 100m now! The picture below doesn't capture the excitement of it and the speed they were advancing out of the arena but I didn't think about taking a photo when it first happened as I was a little too close, guess I'll never make a photo journalist!

Anyway, I liked the look of this black one which I painted at a demo and have named him "Dirty McFlirty" as he has that kind of look about him. I had the finished piece float framed in a black contemporary frame and it sold soon after. Unusually for me, I've included the nose ring and that's because I wanted to break up the dark colouring and draw the eye to it.

I have also painted one of my favourite subjects - a Highland calf which is shown below. This is one of the youngsters from an award winning fold not far from me which I paint regularly. "Wee Bairn" is oil on a 24"x24" canvas and float mounted in a chunky contemorary frame.