More from Fort Worth

Fort Worth Livestock Exchange
8 x 10
oil on canvas
$350

 On Sunday I went to the Stock Yards to paint with my friend Olivette Hubler. It was a very nice day, sometimes cloudy but wonderful for January. I began by painting the Fort worth Livestock Exchange building.

My painting and the subject.

 There were many tourists as usual. People come from all over the world to Texas to see and experience the Old West and this is one of the best places I know of to experience remnants of that period of history which is gone but not forgotten.

Me, painting on Exchange Street.

The livestock exchange is one of the most beautiful buildings in the stock yards. Once it was a great place of business and commerce. Now I think a museum is in it and some offices. During the summer various demonstrations and events (like armadillo races) are held on its lawn.

Stage coach on Exchange Street

Every weekend there are stage coach rides, cattle drives and other events. It is an experience meant to be a pleasure for the entire family. I truly enjoy painting here and although this is my home always feel like a bit of a tourist myself while I am here.

The colors of Winter
8 x 10
oil on panel
$300

 After painting on Exchange Street, Olivette and I had lunch at Riskys and then walked over a street to a totally different view. This is an area near the train tracks for the steam locomotive that comes into the stock yards. There is an old house, windmill, and great clumps of sage and cactus.

Olivette on the other side of the tracks.

 These photos were taken when the sky was clearer and there was more color. But while I painted my painting it was very overcast and everything was shades of gray and pale blue greens, except for the winter grasses which were a bright and beautiful green.

The old house and cacti.

 I had driven by this site many times and always desired to paint it. I am very glad that we painted here today. This is a small site but it has the feel and look of being far from the city. I will be sure to come back again and perhaps try painting a scene of the house and windmill as Olivette did.

A young longhorn cow with her first calf.

On Tuesday evening I went to the Fort Worth Stock Show. I've always enjoyed this from my childhood when I used to go and watch my cousins show their Hereford cattle.This event lasts several weeks. Every few days new breeds of animals are brought  to the show. The longhorns were going out today so I made a point of going to work on my longhorn sculpture while they were still there. The great thing about sculpting at the stock show was being able to work right up close to the animals. I was able to make some very important changes to my sculpture. I may go back and sculpt a Hereford  or Angus before the show ends. (I had a pet Angus calf that my grandmother bought me when I was about eight.)

Me sculpting, using a  young longhorn as my model.