Caroline Shotton - Hay!...He Started It!

This is an intricate piece. There were numerous sketches involved with getting not only the composition right as a whole, but also accurately capturing the anatomy of the cows - legs and hooves in the right proportion and position. This is a teaser for the future, for underneath the hay lies the whole cow, which I have never painted before. I have previously used real wood on fences and gates, but in this piece the 'bedstead' is hand painted, recreating the grain of old wood, and I’ve even painted realistic rusty nails. There are five 'layers' in this piece - background, bedstead, cows, hay, & hooves. As the hay is 3D in itself, I needed to make the hooves. For these I cut, sanded, painted and varnished wood and fixed them in place on the canvas, over the hay. Using reference from veterinary diagrams and pictures, I designed a shape and pattern to look like a real hoof. This painting sets a typical scene for many people, including myself. You have just woken up, and a morning cuddle with your children quickly turns into mayhem. Fidgeting legs and feet (or hooves!) can quickly eliminate any chance of a peaceful lie-in!

Boxed Canvas
29 x 48''

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