The Art of the Cattle Industry

The . Art of the

CATTLE INDUSTRY

Illinois livestock illustrator and artist, CJ Brown, uses her work to pay tribute to the agriculture industry for generations to come.

by Betty Haynes

From the time CJ Brown was a child, she has been developing a deep passion for the people, animals and landscape of the rural lifestyle.

Rooted in Ag

Brown grew up on a farm near Esmond, Ill. Her family raised Angus and Simmental cattle on their farm in Dekalb County.

“I have always been interested in drawing,” says Brown. “My parents said ever since I could pick up a pencil or crayon, I was always drawing.”

Growing up in a small community, Brown found creative avenues through high school art courses and a student job at the local newspaper.

“I was not able to take an art class until my junior year of high school,” says Brown. “When I did, it just really clicked.”

Brown studied art at Luther College in Iowa. The small class sizes at Luther were ideal for her art curriculum.

After graduation, Brown was hired to complete technical drawings for a commercial art studio in Rockford. Although it was not the most artistically inspiring position, Brown recalls that those years were critical in helping her develop her sense of detail.

Brown began taking her work to art fairs on the side and then to wholesale shows across the country to showcase her paintings. It was around this time when Brown began developing prints. Her first print was in the early 1980s of a round barn.

While taking her pieces to gift shows, her barn prints became quite well known. The Smithsonian released a documentary titled “Weathered Secrets” about old barns where they featured a number of Brown’s prints and visited her studio in Dekalb, Ill. The film was part of a traveling exhibit titled, “Barn Again” about barns across the county.

It’s Show Time

Brown’s first beef cattle piece, “Grazing in the Grove”, was of the Woodlawn Angus herd on pasture near Creston, Ill. Woodlawn Angus Farm, owned by the Pierce family, is home to the oldest Angus herd in North America. The piece sold exceptionally well at a Pheasants Forever banquet.

“The thing with painting cattle that I feel is very important, is that anatomically and phenotypically it is what the breeder would want the animal to look like,” says Brown. “That has always been a really important part when I paint the cattle.”

The success of “Grazing in the Grove” led Brown to exhibit her work at the 2003 Illinois Beef Expo trade show.

“I worked with Cimeron Frost to get a trade show booth,” says Brown. “I had one cattle print and it sold really well at the Illinois Beef Expo.”

The exposure was just the ticket to put CJ Brown Studios on the map. Brown started painting other cattle breeds and taking work to beef expos and cattle shows across the country.

Red, White and Moo

Found You

First Snow

Grandeaur in the Grove

“By that fall I had four or five cattle prints so I decided to take them to the North American International Livestock Exposition,” says Brown. “Then things really took off for me.”

The following January, Brown was an exhibitor at the National Western Stock Show.

“I like to paint cows because I look at it as a historical document of our agricultural history,” says Brown. “I love to look at the old paintings and some of the old photos of the beef industry. I feel like part of my mission is recording our history.”

Early in her career Brown received a call from Frank Murphy. Murphy was the livestock illustrator for the Angus breed. He had been following Brown’s work and wanted to connect. Brown discovered Murphy only lived a few hours away.

“One day Frank invited me to come in for a special exhibit that he had going on,” says Brown. “I spent the whole day with him. That was one of the most memorable days that I have ever experienced. It was an honor to get to know him.”

Brown and Murphy quickly became friends.

“Frank told me the eyes are the most important thing you paint on the animal because it shows the soul of the animal,” said Brown. “He said that often people do not realize it, but they always look at the eyes first. Every time I paint an eye, I think about that.”

Purple Ribbon Achievements

“I really enjoy painting cattle,” says Brown. “Since 2002 cattle are, for the most part, the only thing I have been painting.”

Brown recalls when she first painted “Grazing in the Grove”, there were very few prints available of livestock.

“My cow prints were some of the first out there to give the idea of hanging a cattle picture in your house,” says Brown. “There were Western prints, but there never were any portraits of beef cattle. Now I’m kind of amazed because you can find cow pictures anywhere, but they never quite get the anatomy right.”

Brown has done a number of pieces for Tom Burke at Angus Hall of Fame. Some of her pieces have been done to raise money for breed associations and the National Cattleman’s Beef Association.

The piece that Brown calls the “pinnacle of her career” was a project for Denver steakhouse, 801 Chophouse. The piece was a large mural of the National Western Stock Show show-ring. Brown worked around the clock to complete the piece before the one-month deadline. The mayor of Denver and governor of Colorado were both present for the unveiling.

I like to paint cows because I look at it as a historical document of our agricultural history. I love to look at the old paintings and some of the old photos of the beef industry. I feel like part of my mission is recording our history.

CJ Brown and Red Paint

Another favorite of Brown’s is the piece she introduced at the National Western Stock Show titled, “Whispers in the Yard”. The piece is a pencil drawing combining faces of the stockyard’s past and present.

“There are a lot of aspects to what I do,” says Brown. “I love going to shows and meeting and talking to people. I have definitely missed that this past year. I have made so many good friendships in this industry and I love that part of it. Some of my closest friends, I have met though this industry.”

The Next Chapter

Brown has never forgotten her production ag roots. She now resides on a cattle farm outside of Lindenwood, Ill.

“My son came up with the name ‘Paint Brush Farms’ for our farm,” said Brown. “We have a small herd of Simmental cattle.”

Brown has a red Simmental bull she raised named “Red Paint”. In 2019, “Red Paint” was the Junior Division Champion Bull at the Iowa State Fair. Lance Ellsworth with Cattle Visions saw the bull and asked to carry “Red Paint” in their semen catalog.

A few years ago, Brown launched her first children’s book.

“Believe it or not, I can write just as well as I can paint,” says Brown. “I am really enjoying the children’s books.”

In April, Brown will release her fourth children’s book, “Counting Cows”.

“My books are all about cattle,” says Brown. “They are a great way to teach children to respect agriculture and have an appreciation for the beef industry.”

Brown has been devoting a majority of her time towards her children’s books. This fall, Brown plans to release a new book about cattle dogs titled “Barker Road”. Brown would like to continue “Barker Road” into a series of books about several of the dogs.

“My future plans include more books and more painting,” says Brown. “It will be hard for me to retire because I do not like sitting still.”

To purchase prints or children’s books from CJ Brown Studios or to request a commissioned piece, visit www.cjbrownstudios.com or CJ Brown Studios on Facebook. Brown’s work is also available for purchase at Horse Creek Outfitters in Springfield and Vintage Chicks & Feed in Leaf River.