Back in the Saddle! Make Art on the Farm 9/30/15

Artists Painting at Cow Track Ranc

For our Participating Artists:

Liz Daniels and Family have invited us to come make art outside, all day, any time on September 30th. They have a new parking lot on their ranch (due to all those weddings they are hosting!). So please come out and paint, photograph and enjoy the rolling hills, cattle and vistas at:

Where:
Cow Track Ranch
Nicasio, CA
(First dirt road on the Right after the Nicasio School... follow dirt road slowly (look out for cows) through the gates until you see arched farm sign and gate for Cow Track Ranch).
Previous Cow Track Visits/Posts:
2013 Cow Track (post)
2012 at Cow Track
2009 at Cow Track
2008 at Cow Track

When:
Wednesday
September 30th, 2015

How?
1.
Please RSVP here.
2.
We truly encourage all artists to become Members of Marin Organic who wish to participate in these outings. If and when you do become a member of Marin Organic, we will feature your art in a featured post on our blog here at Art on the Farm .com. A great way to share your work with the online world, promote a show or event you are having, and encourage others to do the same. (Please email your promotional materials with a copy of your Marin Organic Membership receipt to farmartpr@gmail.com to be included in a post on our blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts(we have over 1,000 followers on Twitter- Thanks, Twitter Friends!)

Why?
As a group, we get to experience the joy of visiting Marin Organic lands and making art outside. We give back at least 50% of any art we sell at our exhibits to Marin Organic. We support our local producers and love being a part of sharing their work and mission with all.

Thank you!

New Artist Visits.... Coming soon!

Hello SPRING!  Yes, we are still here.  We were waiting for the rains to come and bring green to the farms and the hills.  We are discussing the next steps for this group, and we have talked about creating a "Meetup" for Art on the Farm, like the North Bay Plein Air painters group uses.  It seems easy for others to upload their photos and stay better connected, ride share, etc....  For example, they have 79 people RSVP'd to attend a paint-out in Healdsburg on Sunday, March 30th! We collaborated with them once before for our visit to Gospel Flat Farms this past summer.  They posted our farm visit on their site, and more people showed up.  Hoping they may let us do that again this year!

Please check back soon for new dates and places to visit.  This year, due to the drought, we may have some restrictions on bathrooms and water use, so I would highly suggest people think about bringing their own water and using local public restrooms for their needs.  Check back soon!

In the meantime, feel free to visit THE NEW WEBSITE at MarinOrganic.org and the individual producer websites, such as StempleCreek.com and cowtrackranch.com .  We are still posting interesting news weekly on Twitter, so you may also wish to follow us there.

Thank you!

Marin Organic Art Auction 2013... Coming soon!

November 21, 2013

At this time of year, we usually have our group show of our work to share our creations and good spirits while making a few dollars to fund our art and the projects of Marin Organic.

This year, the new Executive Director of Marin Organic, Jeffrey Westman, and one of their terrific volunteers on board, would like to offer an online auction via "Bidding for Good" with our art work for sale in lieu of a gallery show. This is an exciting opportunity to provide all of us with more exposure and possibility for sales to online members of Marin Organic that may have never had the opportunity to visit one of our shows in person.

Cow Track Tractors by Margaret Elliot

If you would like to participate, please follow the directions below to email your work for sale by this Friday, November 22nd at midnight.  As we have 135 members, I am asking that each artist only send 1 piece of art for the auction at this time.  If it goes well and work sells, you will be notified to send more images.

Toluma Goats by Ayris Hatton

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:

Email everything in ONE email only to:

Marin Organic Art Auction 2013
by Friday, Nov 22 at midnight

1.  Your Name
2.  Your website link (please send again even if I have it already)
3.  Title, Medium, Size
4.  Marin Organic location it was inspired by, and any "Story" you'd like to tell about your farm visit... 3-5 sentences max
5.  Price (50% to Marin Organic)
6.  Email a jpg image of your work between 1-3 megabytes in size
7.  Please make sure the image is clear, color corrected and looks fabulous.  If you have different angles of the artwork, ie... the image close up and the image on the wall, with a frame on it... please do send up to 3 angles of the art.  Do not send these images if they don't look great... Please, only send your best photo or photos.  1 great image is better than 3 that are not great.

Art may be delivered to Marin Organic in Pt. Reyes Station if sold, or you may arrange to deliver the art to the buyer directly.  This part is flexible, but Jeffrey has told us he does have room to store the art at Marin Organic if you would like to bring it there.

Thank you for your cooperation and participation.  I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your family and/or a pleasant quiet time for yourself and your art.

-Colleen Proppé
Volunteer Coordinator, Art on the Farm

2013 Summer Visits

Fragrant & Farm Fresh Lavender awaits!

We have a new website to show you from Cow Track Ranch, and we are delighted to be visiting Liz Daniels on Sunday, June 9th.

Please do put this one on your calendars!  Cow Track Ranch is one of the favorite places to visit, partially for it's dramatic rolling hills that embrace the property, and in part for the rustic buildings, tractors, and gardens maintained by proprietor, Liz Daniels.

Enjoy browsing their new site, which was not up last summer when we visited.  It has so much great info on their lavender products and more, plus the photos are marvelous.  The property has a Bed and Breakfast on site, and is rented out frequently for one-of-a-kind,  "Real Weddings".

-Your "Real Volunteer", Colleen Proppé
Follow me on Twitter @cproppe

For more upcoming "Art on the Farm" visits, click here>

Cow Track Ranch: July 29, 2012

We had a fantastic day at Liz Daniel's "Cow Track Ranch" in Nicasio.  It was the day after a gorgeous wedding had taken place, and many of the decorations and flowers were still in place.  Liz was so accommodating, and we were still able to visit all the nooks and crannies of her property.

I stopped at Nicasio Cheese Company on my way over, and purchased my lunch: a cooler of cheese, crackers, and drinks to enjoy through the early evening.  While I was there, an entire family of cyclists had stopped in for a break.  They were training for the Marin Century that took place the last weekend in August.  I hope they enjoyed it!

There were over 20 artists out at Cow Track throughout the day this year.  This is one of the best spots to visit because it is easy to get to and there are so many unique things to paint.  Holsteins, Long-horn cattle, rolling hills, old tractors and barns, a pond, lots of gardens and plants, rock outcroppings and more.

Photojournalist and blogger, Ann Brooks, has written a terrific post on her day there too!  Please click here to view Ann's photos of the day, including this one of West Marin's, Sharon Skolnik-Bagnoli, painting watercolor sketches.

Our next visit is August 19th, Creekside Gardens.  We have another visit in August at the Lunny Oyster Farm.  Please visit our Schedule to learn more about these outings for artists.

Art on the Farm Weekly... Cow Track Ranch 2009

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The "Art on the Farm" group ventured out to Nicasio, California today to Lizzie Daniels stunning property, "Cow Track Ranch", just past downtown Nicasio and the Nicasio school. It was a sunny, 64 degree day, with light winds, and perfect weather for outdoor painting. Lizzie boasts of her Marin County Fair "Best of Show" Merlot Red Lettuce(photos below), and it was a sight to behold, growing all over the property, surrounding the barns, amongst the roses, and in the new greenhouse. Liz offered a tour of the greenhouse, where she grows all varieties of organic vegetables and herbs that are sold to businesses such as Cowgirl Creamery, and Cafe Reyes, in Pt. Reyes Station. Liz recently provided the newest restaurant, also in Pt. Reyes Station, Osteria Stellina with lettuces and produce. Cow Track sells organic seedlings/starters to Local Flora, and to several school gardens in West and Central Marin County.
"Cow Track Ranch" Organic, Merlot Lettuce, is a dark, burgundy color.


A produce order that was delivered to Osteria Stellina on Mother's Day.


A plein air start in the greenhouse, by C. Proppé.

Deborah Cushman, plein air artist, painting the barns...

Dominique Caron en plein air with umbrella at Cow Track.

Donna Solin paints by Cow Track Pond.


Ruby Newman, in faux finish attire, happily paints en plein air today.


A view through the greenhouse, spies; Richard Lindenberg and a grazing horse.

Richard Lindenberg, "paints with horses", outside the new greenhouse.

An easel by the barn; right corner. Click to enlarge & view painting!

Fearless Artist Organizer, 2008-2009: Larry Bryson.

Artist, John Deckert, outstanding in the field, at Cow Track Ranch.

Art on the Farm Weekly... Cow Track Ranch

Sunday, June 8, 2008
Heaven on earth tonight, at Cow Track Ranch, in Nicasio, CA. It was just a stunning afternoon, with 360 views of rolling hills, valleys, rock outcroppings and grazing cows. The ranch itself has a redwood barn, now greyed with age and covered with yellow lichen, that was built in 1871, as well as colorful antique tractors and rusted farm equipment from times past. Much of this info was written up in a recent article by Jim at the West Marin Citizen. Thank you, Jim! Click image below to read the article...

Participating Farms & Ranches

Marin Organic Farms
Who have participated in Art on the Farm:

• All Star Organics
• Blackberry Farm
• Carbon Farm
• Cerini Ranch
• Conlan Ranches California
• Cow Track Ranch
• Creekside Gardens
• Devil's Gulch Vineyard
• Drake's Bay Family Farm
• Fairfax Fresh
• Fresh Run Farm
• Gospel Flat Farm
• Green Gulch Farm
• Historic L Ranch
• Internatural Harvestors
• Little Organics
• McEvoy Olive Ranch
• Mt. Barnabe Farm
• Paradise Valley Produce
• Point Reyes Vineyard
• Redhill Farms
• Regenerative Design Institute
• Sartori Farms
• Slide Ranch
• Star Route Farms
• Stemple Creek
• Stewart Ranch
• Stubb's Vineyard
• Toluma Farm
• Wild Blue Farm