As painter Sharon Yates has said about her work:
Painting outdoors in the landscape is my primary concern while I also continue an involvement with large scale complex studio interiors that include the human figure.
Years ago I cast aside painting scenic coastal motifs and along came cows; intriguing and beautiful. I was struck by their angular forms moving in the changing light and weather and compelled to find my way in painting them in their world. To find a pasture without a bull is the beginning; I haul in my gear and watch the herd roam the fields, woods and barnyards endlessly waiting for some to slow down or settle at rest; always a gamble, always chaos.
Positioning myself close to the ground seeing the cows close up, I experience their anatomy and movements no matter how slight. Usually I like to paint a cow in the foreground countered by others on the run or in the distance. Aesthetic decisions come and go; ruts, wet spots, manure and fences often rule. I seem to thrive on the unexpected and do not use photographs. Being out there is everything.
