My son Hank and I were prowling around the Davis Mountains region in the summer of 2017 and found ourselves on Highway 166 heading east up from Valentine to Ft. Davis. The two-lane blacktop was straight as an arrow and the view of the Davis mountains with Mt. Livermore taking center stage was awe inspiring.
The golden late August grasses of Rancho Espuela laid out in front of us like a carpet leading straight up to the mountain foothills in the distance. As we topped one of the short knolls along the road, the Dyer herd of limousine cattle stood in our view almost like they were posing for a picture. Beautifully spread and turned facing us, they seemed to be begging to be photographed.
We stopped and I did a quick sketch and took a lot of pictures that ended up providing me with reference for two paintings. “Fat Cows on Rancho Espuela Grass 2” is the second of the two. Sometimes you get lucky. Timing, nature and circumstance come together to deliver you the perfect painting. This was one of those occasions and I’m grateful.
