Barn Kitten

Tuesday morning I went on a ranch call photoshoot and while visiting with the clients I noticed this barn kitten sacked out in the center of a lariat. My camera was handy so I had to capture the image.

In the Kitchen: Slicing Mushrooms

I did not cook anything with mushrooms tonight. I was reviewing my food photo and found this image in my archives. It looked good so I decided to post it tonight.

Sketchbook: Ju Hick I

This is a drawing I did from a photograph of a horse taken the Bluebonnet Stakes this past May. I did this graphite drawing on Staedtler engineering paper so I would have a grid to work from.

Sketchbook: Sun Over Plain I

No Sketching class today, July 5, so I took some oil pastels and did this experimental piece on black card stock. I call this Sun over Plain I and it was inspired by similar works by Author Dove and Georgia O'Keefe.

Month End at the Ranch

April is already starting her life in the "Grass is Greener" school of thought. I guess it is time to mow again. I tried a number of times to convince her that the spaces between the runners was only to look through.









After rains flatten the arena floor I like to walk and look for float of ceramic shards, textures created by the rainwater, and unusual animal tracks. Click here to see a slide show, including an animal that created those tracks.







This has been a very unusual month in Texas as rains have persisted during a time when dry, hot weather is usually the rule. I have included a small gallery of storm clouds.

Sketchbook: Le Clarion

Our project in sketching in the galleries this week was to take a painting and do a interpretive and expressive drawing based on a painting in a gallery. I chose a painting entitled "Le Clarion" by Edouard Manet (1882). This drawing was done in colored pencil on a black archival card stock. Although this painting was of a French Bugler, It seemed that it could just have easily been of a US Civil War Confederate Bugler.

In the Kitchen: Italian Combo

Wedn night I prepared a combination of Central Market Mozzarella and Bell Pepper Sausage, along with spaghetti with my Marinara Sauce, on the side I had leftover Baked Eggplant with Zucchini and mushrooms.

More Ranch Photos

Wednesday evening after working at the ranch all day, I went around and captured some new photos around the ranch. The image shown is of April modeling my palm straw. It did not quite fit right so I had to help a little, but she was willing to let me hold it there, if only for a few seconds. A slide show of more images may be seen in this web gallery.

Meet the Kids (goats that is)

Meet Annie the goat.
She is one of two goats at the ranch. This pair were a birthday present for my niece.
You may see additional photos of the goats in this web gallery

A Favorite Photo

A few years ago I took this photo of a filly that was very unusual. It is hard enough to get a pasture raised foal to let me get this close, let alone put a cap on her and let it stay. This photo was created to promote my website www.americascutter.com.

In the Kitchen: Fruit Salad II

My kitchen goal for today was to create a fruit salad that was both colorful and flavorful. I combined Strawberries and complimentary Kiwi fruit, along with peaches and apricots. I served this salad with a lemon and lime juice mayonnaise dressing.

In the Kitchen: Summer Faire

Well the rain is over (maybe) and it is getting hot outside. Now is the time for a good fruit salad. I put strawberries, banana, apple, nectarine, and cantaloupe together and with the help of a dressing of mayonnaise with the juice of a large lemon.

Area 24 NCHA Day 2007

Now why are the putting us out here?

This past weekend I was at the NCHA Weekend for Area 24 in Athens Texas. I photographed all of the Amateur and Youth classes and most of the Non-Pro Classes. You can see those images at NCHA Day 2007

Sketchbook: Moonlight

This week we sketched in an exhibit about Texas Art that just opened this week. I chose a lithograph by Alexander Hogue called Moonlight which was printed in 1954.Our instructor brought some black construction paper and white pencils so that we could experiment with working with negative space. I decided after seeing this lithograph that Moonlight was the perfect artwork to draw. Some of you may recognize the church in this drawing as the Ranchos De Taos which has drawn many artists and photographers working in the Southwest.

Cowboys Shadow

During the ACHA weekend at about 7:30 pm each day the sunlight shown on the backfence boards. I looked over and saw a great shadow of the turnback and herdholder with a golden halo. When I tripped my strobes an additional larger shadow of the turnback rider appeared.

Cowboy Cooling Station

During the past weekend I have been in Brenham at the Nueces Canyon Ranch for the American Cutting Horse Association Weekend. Yesterday I had a little time to photograph some behind the scenes photos and found this Cowboy Cooling Station in the horse barn. It did not see a lot of use this weekend as temperatures were more like early April than late March.

Visit with the Foals of 2007

This past Saturday after work I went over to visit with the foals. April is the most eager for visitors. This is one of few images I was able to get with my long lens as she came right over to visit and stuck with me as long as I was in the pasture. Since she was an orphan foal and was nursed by people for her first two weeks, she has a weak bond to her nursemare and is most interested in people.



Colena's colt on the other hand, is more reserved and while he will come to visit, is hesitant about any human touch. He and April are now fast friends, but as a colt he is a bit curious about Aprils really large Dam. I watched as he went over to the water trough and drank right next to Aprils' Clydesdale nursemare. To my surprise he walked over and took a sample to see if it was the same as normal mares milk.

Dancing Cow?

Is this a Dancing Cow? or a cow about to make an escape from the cutter and run back to where I am taking photos? It sort of reminds me of that song when were were kids - Put you left foot out and shake it all about, or something like that.

Bluebonnet Stakes May 4-6, 2007

Bluebonnet Stakes is over and now I am in a battle to get all the images online. I have spent the better part of two days editing all the limited age, 50,000NP, and Youth Scholarship photos. I am now uploading them to the site. Tomorrow I work on the regular Bluebonnet CHa Weekend show photos. The photo on this post is Ju Hick cutting out a cow in the Open Derby.

Bluebonnet Stakes Preview

I will be leaving tomorrow for Brenham, Texas and the 2007 Bluebonnet Stakes to be held at the Washington County Fairgrounds Friday -> Sunday. The photo to your left is one of my favorite youth photo from a few years ago.