Grevy's Zebra
I am particularly fond of Grevy's zebras. Their large fluffy ears and mule like heads lends them to comical expressions. The graphic nature of the zebra's stripes intrigue me and Grevy's Zebras in particular have stripes are more numerous and are closer together which makes for interesting patterns and angles For me as a wildlife artist, the complexity and beauty of their markings is an irresistible invitation to paint them.
The original zebra painting was done inwatercolor pencil on Arches 140# Hot Press watercolor paper.
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Bengal Tiger
Bengal tigers are one of the most water loving of all the big cats, outdone only by the jaguar. When the heat of the day gets excessive, tigers will find a shady pool to cool off in.
Big cats hold a special fascination for me. I am especially intrigued by their beauty, grace and unfathomable eyes. I've done a great many tiger paintings and I'm sure I will do a great many more.
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Clydesdale Mare
I found this diminutive Clydesdale mare spending her retirement years at a petting zoo where she enjoyed the treats and attention the children gave her. I have mixed emotions about this. In a perfect world she would be in a sunny pasture, belly deep in grass. However it is hard to say what her fate would have been had the zoo not taken her in.
Despite her age, she had a beautiful face with kind eyes and a soft expression. I see beauty in all horses and I am just as compelled to paint a back yard pony as I am a show champion.
The original painting was done using watercolor pencil and gouche on Arches Watercolor paper.
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Scarlet Macaw
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Greater Flamingos
I really enjoyed creating this Flamingo Painting. I love flamingos anyway. They have that stately yet ridiculous quality to them. Plus as an artist the color is so rare in nature that it's a real treat for me.
I wanted to keep this painting elegantly simple. My goal was to have all of the focus to be on the flamingos. Line and movement and how the eye travels the painting, where the main factors in creating the composition and placement of birds.
To create this painting I did something new. I drew each bird on a separate piece of paper and cut them out and played with the arrangement. As an artists it is nice to mix up my technique and challenge myself from time to time.
The original flamingo painting was done in watercolor pencil on suede board.
AND... I'm now on Zazzle so you can get some of your favorite art on various items that range anywhere from art tiles, to sketch diaries to coffee mugs and mousepads. Birds Of A feather is now available on a coffee mug where the image wraps around the mug for a fun and whimsical way to start your day. http://www.zazzle.com/wildfacesgallery*
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Hyacinth Macaw
Macaws are spectacular birds. I have often thought about having one for a pet but they are a life long commitment since they can live to be 65 years of age. Hyacinth macaws are the worlds largest parrots. Their beak is designed for cracking nuts but can snap broomsticks. They are lively, gregarious birds and are highly intelligent.
I've painted many of the varieties of macaws. I am attracted to their beautiful coloration. The Hyacinth macaw is a solid blue color except for the naked skin which is yellow.
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Rodeo Bull
This image was created for the Rolfe Rodeo to be featured as the design on their fund raising t-shirt sales.
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Andalusian Horse
I photographed this handsome Andalusian stallion at the MN Horse Expo many many years ago when the horse was first quite young and a much darker gray. Since I attend this horse expo very nearly every year either as an artist selling my equine artwork or merely as a spectator collecting reference photos so I've been able to watch this stallion mature and become more beautiful, and more masterful at his Spanish movements with each passing year.
What really drew me to wanting to paint this horse in this way was the compositional cropping and color elements. This piece is several years old at this point and is yet still one of my favorite horse paintings.
This is yet another horse that I have hundreds of photos of and I'm sure I'll be committing him to art again soon.
The original painting was watercolor pencil done on Arches #140 Hot Press Watercolor Paper.
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Bay Horse
As an equestrian artist I am often asked if I do horse portraits and truthfully I do them rarely. I do 1 or 2 horse portraits a year but they have to fall under specific criteria. The main one being that I get copious amounts of photos to work from. This is most easily accomplished by my being able to photograph the horse myself. The other benefit to this is that it gives me a chance to really get a feel for the horse and his personality and that I think helps for a more effective portrayal when I create the actual painting.
This is an excerpt from my Apples 'N Oats magazine column regarding the creation of the Catch painting. It tells the story of trying to get that perfect reference photo for a portrait.
As they had just been turned out, Catch really took very little interest in meeting us. This actually makes the photographing part easier. However, he was so engrossed in eating, that after a few shots of him grazing, well . . . we needed a little more excitement!
So Carol flung bits of grass in the air and was rewarded with a lazy flick of the ear. She did the usual clapping, whistling and flailing of arms. He watched her quizzically, occasionally lifting his head (with large mouthfuls of grass mind you) to get a better look. But after a few brief moments, he promptly resumed grazing.
At this point, we fell to bribery. I had some apples in the van and we tried to lure him into some interesting facial expressions, which hopefully didn't involve chewing or swallowing. I managed to get a few more pictures taken, until of course the apple was gone.
So Carol, in an earnest desire to help me get some action shots, started jogging around the pasture, occasionally springing into the air, while making excited chirpy noises, accompanied with yet more flailing of arms. The jogging thing got the ol’ boy’s interest, perhaps out of curiosity more than anything, but he trotted along beside her.
The original horse painting was done in watercolor pencil on ARches 140# Hot Press Watercolor Paper.
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White Arabian Horse
Help Suppport IERAL
Early in 2008 the Iowa Equine Rescue & Awareness League (IERAL) asked me to create a portrait as part of a fund raiser. IERAL is an established non-profit organization which provides care and rehabilitation for the animals they take in.
This image is of Colton, a lovely little 7 year old, gray Arabian gelding, who's likable demeanor immediately entranced me. His gentle, sweet nature and good manners reminded me much of my own horse.
Colton is blind, probably from a virus that went untreated. The good new is, it is reversible with surgery and the organization is working to raise funds to help with the procedure. So, that coupled with his beauty in both looks and spirit, made him the ideal poster child (urm . . . horse) for an IREAL fund raiser.
50% of the print proceeds go to IERAL
to help Colton and other horses in need. For more information on IERAL, please visit the IERAL website.
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Two Giraffes
These two giraffes were photographed at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. The female (who's head is on the right) was all over the male with nuzzling and affection. The male giraffe on the other hand was decidedly bored with her attentions and spent. Isn't that always the way?
Once again I was attracted to the compositional elements in this giraffe painting.I also really liked the intimacy and gentleness these two portrayed.
The original giraffe painting was done in watercolor pencil and water slouble ink on suede board.
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Melanistic Jaguar
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American Flamingo
Flamingos are wonderful subjects to paint. Their long graceful necks bow and twist and are just naturally artful. I enjoy creating intimate portraits. So, often I keep my composition simple to add strength of focus to the animal and its personality. I want to give the viewer the sense of seeing this type of animal for the first time.
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Starry Night Ram Sheep
This ram sheep painting was done as the follow up to Fleece On Earth which was our Christmas card image the year before. This ram is based on the Drenthen breed which is a very old and very rare sheep.
The print image is cropped slightly smaller than the original painting which is square in shape. The original sheep painting was done in a mixed media of watercolor pencil, water soluble ink and water soluble wax pastel on suede board.
The smae colors were used for this as was used of Fleece On Earth so they make an excellent set together.
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Starry Night Sheep
This little ewe was an image created to be our gallery Christmas card. I try to create a new Christmasy image every year for this purpose. Because as usual I was running behind getting a new Christmas card image done I wound up taking it along to an art event in hopes of getting it completed in time to print and mail. I'm glad I did. Initially I was going to call it "Starry Night Sheep" but a fellow artist suggested the title "Fleece On Earth." I thought it was perfect and it stuck.
Turns out I'm following that concept this year as well.For this year's Christmas card I'm doing a ram to match. It will be called "Fleece Navidad."
I really enjoyed playing with style and color on her. I sort of tapped into my inner illustrator and plan to continue doing more works in this style.
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American Wild Horses
"Guardian Spirits" is a painting based on a visit to the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary in Hot Springs, South Dakota. These people work hard to maintain a privately funded reserve for some of the unwanted wild horses that had been culled to reduce wild horse populations. The horses were destined to spend their remaining days in feedlots until these people stepped up and offered to provide a place they could run free again.
There is a cliff wall covered in Anasazi petroglyphs located at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. As I stood and gazed at the carvings on this cliff, it was like touching the past. At that instant, I knew the combination of the wild horses and the ancient petroglyphs would be a wonderful painting.
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Lion
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Scarlet Macaw
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White Tiger
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African Lion Painting
Since I work only off my own photographs naturally one of my favortie places to hang out zoo. I create a lot of African Wildlife Art and so since I can take multiple trips to Africa my local zoos are the best option.
On this particular trip I was thrilled to see that the lion were up and active as most days they are dozing, especially the males. But today he was pacing and roaring and providing me with so much reference material that I'm sure several lion paintings will be done of this magnificent animal.
The big cats have such an intense focus and stare. A person can't help but to be mesmerized by those golden eyes. I'm just grateful they weren't focused on me. At any rate that's where the title for this lion painting came from. Intensity. His great intense focus.
The original lion painting was a watercolor pencil painting done on suede board.
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Chilean Flamingos
I watched a large group of these flamingos for some time and was quite entertained by their movements. I am attracted to patterns in nature. The space behind the birds holds as much interest for me as the birds do themselves.
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Friesian Stallion
Tall, Dark and Seriously Handsome
Frieisans are one of my favorite breeds. Yeah, I know I’m totally alone in this.
Any one who likes horses . . . even a little, likes Friesians. Anyone who is a romantic. . . even a little, likes Friesians. But they really do have all the attributes I admire in horses. They have size. In general they have great temperaments. They’re black. (Ever since I read Walter Farley’s The Black Stallion that has been the color of choice for me.) They have unbelievable hair. Seriously what’s not to love?
I paint horse quite a bit and frankly most of the time I love a good fat backyard pony as much (sometimes more) than the most glorious show horse.But Friesians really grab me from a spiritual place and they tend to get my artistic juju flowing.
This is beautiful young Friesian stallion was photographed at a breeding farm a year or so back. The farm owners allowed me free range to come and go from the paddocks and pastures at my leisure.Even still I stayed outside the young stallion pen but nonetheless this one came over to check me out.
He snuffled about sure I must be smuggling some sort of treat or why else would I be there. Upon discovering that I didn't come bearing gifts as surely was proper etiquette, he then decided I was completely unremarkable and left. So this horse painting is the result. Him leaving me ... but with flair.
The original horse painting was watercolor pencil and water soluble ink on suede board.
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Japanese Koi
This painting was based off a visit to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. They have a ton of koi in a small lake and when you threw in a little fish food this was the result, complete chaos.
Once again it was color and pattern that really attracted me to doing this painting. I also really like the movement running along the diagonal.
Interestingly enough, Blank Park Zoo actually used this image in the sign next to their koi pond, talking about the varieties of fish they have.
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Domestic Rabbits
These little rabbits were a great deal of fun to paint. All fifteen were based on several photos of just a few models. A friend of mine was raising rabbits and had bred a mixed litter. They were eight weeks old when I photographed them.
I had fun with the composition because I just kept sketching in rabbits until I ran out of paper. Originally, I considered grasses or gravel for the background, but didn't feel they would work because of the complexity of the composition and the color variations. I decided on a simple color wash instead. The simple background kept the rabbits as the central focus.
AND... I'm now on Zazzle so you can get some of your favorite art on various items that range anywhere from art tiles, to sketch diaries to coffee mugs and mousepads. Mixed Company is now available on a coffee mug. The image wraps around the mug for a fun and whimsical way to start your day. http://www.zazzle.com/wildfacesgallery*
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White Horse
This painting was part of a grouping of horse paintings done for an exhibition. The series consisted of the role of horses and their fundamental importance to our progress as a nation. This last piece in the series shows the present and I believe future of the horse as more of a luxury item. His immaculate grooming as well as his tack tells that he is a horse whose sole purpose is the art of horsemanship. That being said, this painting also represents the pure beauty of the horse and its willingness to perform any role we lay before it.
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Grevy's Zebra
Both "Romeo" and "African Contours" are paintings of Grevy's Zebras. I especially enjoy painting zebras because of my love for the equine family. Also I am particularly fascinated by the way the stripes follow the form of the animal and the contrasting values of light and dark.
It is generally believed that the purpose of a zebra's stripes is camouflage to confuse the predator. A herd of zebra moving in a frenzy is a sea of stripes. It is far more difficult of separate an individual for attack.
This original zebra painting was done in watercolor pencil on Arches 140# Hot Press watercolor paper.
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Giraffe Group
Giraffes are one of my favorite subjects to paint. I always enjoy coat patterns and color variations of different animals, but giraffes also offer the interesting physical characteristics of a seemingly delicate structure, long neck, and large contoured ears.
Giraffes are both elegant and a little goofy at the same time. My painting “Sunstruck” was my portrayal of the elegance while “Skyscrapers” is a look at the more humorous side of giraffes.
The original giraffe painting was done in watercolor pencil on Windsor Newton 140# Hot press Watercolor paper.
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Close Up Of Horse Face
This is portrait of my horse "Chicory." He has a sweet disposition and a kind eye. I don't have as much time to spend with him as I would like, but I always give him some hugs and kisses daily, and take some time to scratch his "Itchies." He generally has such a soft look on his face. This gentle expression is what I tried to capture here.
Truthfully I think there is a little bit of Chicory in nearly every horse I paint. He is my confidant, my friend and perhaps most importantly my artistic muse.He enables me to bring my love and spiritual attachment to horses to nearly all my equestrian paintings. And while I was p[ainting horses long before I ever owned him, I don't think i considered my an equestrian artist until after he came into my life. I owe him a great deal I think.
The original horse painting was done in watercolor pencil and water soluble ink on suede board.
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Clouded Leopards
This piece is named "Soul Mates" because clouded leopards are one of the few big cats that mate for life. I came upon this pair at a zoo all snuggled up together. I was struck by the charm of the situation, but what made me want to paint them was the way they seemed to blend together as one. They were wrapped up so tightly it was hard to tell where they separated. I also enjoyed painting the strong patterns and shapes of their coats.
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Andalusian Stallion In Spanish Tack
The original painting of this horse was done in watercolor pencil on suede board. I photographed this handsome fella at the Kentucky Horse Park a few years back when I was attending an event and was sharing an art booth with an equestrian sculptor friend. This stunning Andalusian horse was the main event for the weekend, showing off all his fancy Spanish and dressage moves.
I was totally enamored with him from the first moment I set eyes on him and I knew I would be painting him at least once.You might say I sorta became a stalker. I'd hang out beside the barns waiting for him to do his warm ups for the show. I'd photograph him going to the show, waiting for his turn outside and then returning to the barn. It wasn't until the very last day that I actually stayed indoors to watch him perform.And yes, he was spectacular.In the end I had well over 400 photos of him and truthfully I don't think there was an ugly shot of him in the bunch.
He is an equestrian artists dream horse.Obviously he's a beautiful stallion and at all times was he tacked up in the most spectacular gear. His mane and tail quite were thick and billowing and quite literally touched the ground. Yup total horse artist eye candy.
Though this is the first horse painting I've done of him I doubt it will be the last.
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Giraffe
The model for "Sunstruck" was a bull giraffe named DJ, from the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. He was always in motion, swiveling his ears and adjusting his mouth. His facial expressions conveyed such great character. What pulled me into doing this painting however, was all the angles and the way the light bounced off them. He seemed to almost glow.
Composition and cropping play a big part for me in deciding how I want to portray a particular animal.In this giraffe painting I liked the back-turned head and the soft pastel colored ears playing a major part in the focus.
The original giraffe painting was done in watercolor pencil on Hot Press Watercolor Paper.
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Quarter Horse
I went to a cattle branding on a ranch in Wyoming during the summer of 1999 with an equestrian artist friend and I was captivated by this horse and rider and how they worked together so perfectly. They had formed a definite partnership working almost like they were one creature. It brought to mind the partnership between a husband and wife, how they compliment one another and often introduce their partner as their "Better Half."
The original horse painting was watercolor pencil on Winsor Newton #110 Hot Press watercolor paper.
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Three Percheron Mares
This painting is of my neighbor Percheron mares. I was lucky enough that he kept around 20 brood mares next door so I had infinite chance to photograph and paint them.
Below is an excerpt from my Apples 'N Oats magazine column about this painting. This happens to be one of my favorite stories of these horses.
Those Clever Girls
One of my favorite memories of these horses was several years ago when I awoke in the morning to the tell tale signs (manure piles and dinner plate sized hoof prints) of horses having run amok in the yard. After checking to make sure my horse was safely grazing in the pasture, I immediately called my neighbors to tell them the girls were out.
We received a call back a few minute later to say that all their horses were in the yard paddock. “Huh” was all I could say to that.
The following evening in the wee hours, I was awakened by strange noises. As I looked out my living room window, I saw giant black shapes moving about in the darkness. The noises were the horses stepping on the cellar door and it groaning under the weight. They seemed to be intrigued by it as a few moments after stepping back off it, they would step back on. Frankly it a miracle it held them.
So with the dawn came a repeat of the previous morning, where I call and again the horses are all peaceably waiting by the barn.
After the second call my neighbors did a more thorough search. As it turns out after a closer inspection, the fence was found to be weak in one area. The mares apparently pushed on it and just stepped over. How the whole herd managed this is unclear. Whether one held it down for all to leave and all to return or whether each horse did the same maneuver to attain freedom is still known only to them.
Whatever the case, the end result was they frolicked and cavorted in our yard all night long (probably taunting my horse and sheep with their freedom.) Then just before dawn they’d return, sneaking back in the same way they got out. Only to be found standing around waiting for their breakfast grain ration looking bored and hungry. And if it weren’t for my ratting them out, they’d probably have continued doing it for quite some time.
This Percheron Draft Horse Painting was done in watercolor pencil and water soluble ink on suede board.
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Percheron Team
Horses have always been a great love of mine. I don't actually remember, but I think a horse was quite probably the subject of that first drawing I did as a child. I read stories about them, drew them, dreamt of them, saved up my money to buy picture books and plastic figures of them.
The heavy breeds of horses have become my favorite and I am fortunate enough to have a neighbor who raises Percheron draft horses. They are living works of art with their ebony coats, thick necks and robust form. I often walk along their pasture watching them graze and delighting in the antics of each years new foals. I guess it was inevitable that at least one painting should come of that.
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Giraffe
The male giraffe that is the subject of this painting was quite spectacular. He was considerably larger than any of the others in the enclosure. I was particularly drawn to the character of his face. I loved all the wrinkles and the graying of his balding head and I enjoyed working with the rhythms of the shapes and patterns in his coat. The negative space was also important to this work. I actually framed out my Image by how much negative space I wanted, not how much giraffe.
When I had created this giraffe painting it had been a very long time since I had a committed a giraffe to art. I had such fun doing it that I wondered why I'd not done one sooner. This old bachelor was such a great animal that I'm sure he will be the subject of many more paintings to come.
The original giraffe painting was done in watercolor pencil on hot press watercolor paper.
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Blue & Gold Macaw
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Rodeo Bull
This bull was loosely based on a rodeo bull waiting in a holding pen. I was attracted by his vivid markings and colorations. However the most important thing that I wanted to convey was a distinctive personality. I wanted "Tough Guy" in a relaxed posture but alert. His expression being an interesting combination of docility, fierceness and a certain serious dignity.
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Giraffe Painting
This elegant looking giraffe is another from the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, IA. I used much softer coloring for the background in this painting compared to my other giraffe art. I also really liked getting some vertical in as I tend to work square shaped when painting giraffes.
The original giraffe painting was done using watercolor pencils on suede board.
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Resting Foal
This was the first painting I did using suede board for my substrate and I fell in love. It has certain limitations to the abuse I usually deal out, (I tend to layer in color until my paper screams for mercy) but the suede offers a visual softness that I struggle to create on watercolor papers.
I've had the photo of this foal laying in my to do pile for nearly a decade. It wasn't until I decided to try suede that I actually used it. Sometimes it takes just the right combination of medium and substrate to make me say, "Hey, I think I'll do this one today.” And apparently suede matboard was just such a trigger.
This horse painting was done using watercolor pencils and was a nice stretch of my comfort zones. I rarely do baby animal art anyway but this little guy was just so darned cute I knew he had to be painted at some point.
AND... I'm now on Zazzle so you can get some of your favorite art on various items that range anywhere from art tiles, to sketch diaries to coffee mugs and mousepads. This little foal is now available on mousepads and soon several other items. http://www.zazzle.com/wildfacesgallery*
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White Rhino
New Artwork!
Prints of this image are currently available. Detrails about sizes will be added to this page soon. Feel free to email (use the contact us link) if you have any questions.
Rhinos are such wonderful animals. As I was creating this painting I was struck how dinosaur like they actually look. Before I got too much done on his face had I put a few spikes on his forehead she could have easily passed for a tricerotops.
I created this rhino painting on suede board and used a few different kinds of water soluble media including watercolor pencils, water soluble ink and water soluble wax pastels.
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Draft Mule Team
This watercolor pencil painting features a pair of lovely Percheron draft mules which I was able to photograph while they were taking a break from giving buggy rides at the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa.
I shot over two rolls of film on them but because they were feeling quite nappy I was hard pressed to find a couple of photos without one of them yawning or with its tongue stuck out. I imagine a hard working mule just needs to take a nap when she can get it.
This is one of my favorite paintings and one of the few originals that I am keeping for myself. The original painting was done using watercolor pencils on arches watercolor paper.
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