14" x 11" - Oil on Canvas

This is the first painting of a 3 part series I am working on. I encountered these cattle while hiking on the Applachian Trail in North Eastern Tennessee. As I was nearing this location a few people I crossed paths with on the trail earlier told me about them and said, "Don't worry, they're big but they are docile. They were brought there just to eat the vegitation off of the hill tops, and a farmer watches over them."

So I came across a small herd of MASSIVE Texas Longhorn on top of this hilltop, a strange and beautiful setting for such an animal. I got within about 10 ft. of them before I chickened out and decided it was best not to get any closer.

Besides the memory of this place, I really enjoyed painting these because it was a challenge to paint them with a composition that doesn't directly state the iconography of the subject matter. Yes they are cattle, but I was able to photograph and depict them in a manner that obscures their features while still making it clear what they are.