The Day the Cows went to Town

The Day the Cows Went to Town, 12 x 16", oil on linen/hardboard

Author John Gould wrote: “Heifers at large have a mind of their own – which is the same as no mind at all. No man can look at a cow and tell when she will run, where she will run, or how far she will go.” 

It was supposed to be a simple thing: driving a few heifers across the road. I stood in this field, waiting for them to be driven my way, and soaked in the view of beautiful winter sunshine, blue shadows, and red outbuildings. Soon the chase was on, the pasture snow was torn up with footprints of man and beast, and the heifers never did make it across the road- although they did run ON it for a while, making it nearly a mile to the nearest little town.

I went back another day with my sketchbook and did some scribbling of the scene, which later became this painting.