Wildlife Art of Terry Hoyt

Tiger Double

2010-02-03T21:14:00.003-06:00

I have to admit I'm having way too much fun with the tiger stuff, but there is a lot of interest in it right now so I'm going to stay on it until I get bored or get behind on my turkey schedule. These are two 12"x36" paintings that can be sold separately or as one unit as pictured. Rarrrrrr! The decorating possibilities with this format are endless. They fit long, narrow, vertical spots in the house as well as places above doors or other places that traditional art does not fit. The tiger is the mascot for about a million high school and college teams in the U.S. I'm going to make them affordable to anyone. I guess if I was in college, you might say I was majoring in turkeys with a minor in tigers!!

Tiger Eyes

2010-01-29T13:16:00.003-06:00

Well, in case you can't tell, these are not turkeys! No, I am not abandoning my committment to specialize in wild turkey art. This is just a project that popped up and looked like fun. Daniel and I saw some tiger eyes in a store while Christmas shopping. He thought his girlfriend, Amber, would really like something like this for her apartment. She had just graduated from MU and is a fan of the Missouri Tigers. Debbie and I jumped at the gift idea! We found a 12" x 36" canvas with a 1 3/8"profile. I did my research on tigers and did her the painting. She loved it and it was great fun to paint. Seems like everyone who saw it, liked it and suggested I do more. My creative side took over, so I sketched out both horizontal and vertical ideas. They are very light, easy to hang, and no frame is needed! Each one is an original. Tigers have markings and stripes that are very unique to each individual. This gives me alot of freedom. There are lots of schools out there with tiger mascots. It seems like the young people like this type of art. I'm going to use most of February to get the turkey paintings rolling again. My oldest son, Eric is buying some equipment to put in food plots for hunting. I look forward to helping him when he needs a hand. This is going to be a fun year!!!

"On A Mission"

2010-01-21T18:54:00.003-06:00

It's a new year and I'm still painting turkeys! I've spent the last three months bowhunting and spending time with friends and family. I spent many hours in the solitude of a treestand. I hunted on everything from a bright, sun shiny fall day to the coldest, cloudy days of winter. All of the hunts were GREAT in their own rite. Good friend, John Roe allowed me to hunt his spectacular farm for some of the smartest does on earth. (what an experience). My hunting partner, Donnie Stuver, and I had some memorable hunts , to say the least! Donnie and John own a farm together. Donnie had back and neck surgery in October, so I helped him hunt during his recovery. I leased land from John for twelve years, so we all know the land and the deer very well. We had encounters with some really good bucks. They will be huge next year. Four does were unlucky enough to have encounters with the Stuver/Hoyt bow team. John's son, Garrett, killed a big 9 point that Donnie and I watched with a doe for three hours during the peak of the rut. IT WAS A SEASON FULL OF MEMORIES! Today's painting is a gift to John Roe for giving me more bowhunting memories . Thank you John. I'm RECHARGED and ready to paint. 2010 here I come!!!!!

10 PT. Bowkill 10-23-09

2009-10-25T19:15:00.003-05:00

I told you I was going to spend some time in my treestands. A cold front moved through Friday evening and I knew it would be a good night to hunt. Iwalked to my stand in the rain, but the temperature was dropping so I knew the rain would stop and the deer would move. It was a dreary old evening, but the turkeys were gobbling like it was spring. WEIRD. I'd been calling on my grunt call pretty aggressively, looked up, and here he came. From the time I spotted him, until he was down, took less than two minutes. He's not a huge buck, but he's a wonderful trophy to me. It's so good to be deer hunting again!

"Amazing Grace"

2009-10-15T11:55:00.004-05:00

It's been forever since I've sat down to paint. You'll have to forgive me. Fall is here and with that comes bow season. I was working with the Missouri Department of Corrections last year at this time and I missed the entire fall and all the glory that comes with it. NEVER AGAIN! I love the Spring and it's turkeys, but Fall is a magical time of year that makes it almost impossible to stay inside. I'll be in my treestands alot for the next couple months chasing the deer. There is nothing like harvesting a big buck with a bow! This makes 40 years. It's harder to walk, climb and drag than it used to be. When I settle in on the stand and everything gets quiet and the smells of the timber hit me, all the aches,worries and years fade away. It's my Fountain of Youth.

Spring Soldier

2009-08-17T15:55:00.004-05:00

It's been a month since I've entered anything on this blog. I've been working on getting my brother John's 500 acre wetland farm ready to lease for waterfowl and deer hunting. Hot, wet weather has slowed the process, not to mention seven inches of rain in the last 24 hours. I have been painting some also. I've got four 9"x12" paintings finished that are not yet on the blog. I also "touched up" several of my earlier paintings with some improvements. Today's painting is an 11"x14". I've been working on it for several days. Summer sure has flown by. Two good things happen at the end of Summer. The yard mowing comes to an end and hunting season begins!!!!

Feeling the Spring

2009-07-15T14:10:00.003-05:00

I'm on a roll today. It's been fun to put the final touches on two paintings in one day. It does get a little tense at times. It's easier to put things in slowly and be sure I like them , than to rush something in and have to paint it out. I'm really pleased with these last two paintings. The colors are really eye catching in the gobbler, and also in his surroundings. As a matter of fact, I'm so pleased with myself I'm going to take me out and buy myself a beer out by my pool!

Silent Partner

2009-07-15T11:33:00.003-05:00

Here it is Wednesday and this is my first blog for the week. I do have another painting almost done using this layout. I just needed to study exactly what I want to add as final touches. I'd like to keep the painting as uncluttered as possible. I want it to look very much like Spring and that means grass, flowers and color. Everything I was taught is that less is more. Tell that to Mother Nature because she throws alot of "stuff" in her artwork!

Spring Shadows

2009-07-09T13:04:00.003-05:00

This painting took longer than my others. It's an 11"x14" and is one of my paintings I'm submitting for consideration as a turkey stamp. Instead of the usual "fly by the seat of my pants" painting style , I have to check for several things to keep it in stamp format. It's like the old days when I was working on my annual print painting. I always had to think about every little thing I put in the painting. Think, think, think....Thinking is not my strong suit. If I wanted to think all day, I would have got a real job!!!

Springtime Dream

2009-07-07T16:53:00.003-05:00

Today is the day the memorial for Michael Jackson was held. It was quite an affair. It's been on all day so I've bounced back and forth between my painting and the TV. Like him or not, he was the third most recognized person on Earth behind Queen Elizabeth and the Pope. His life and death made history. I liked his music from the start. I loved to watch him dance.( Believe it or not, when I was younger I did a pretty mean Moon Walk my own self!) I hope you like today's painting.

Flyin' the Colors

2009-07-06T17:07:00.006-05:00

Since we just finished celebrating Independence Day, I decided to pick a title that was patriotic. The holiday was perfect. We spent lots of time here at our place with lots of family. Debbie and I caught up with all that is going on in our sons lives and lots of future plans. I really managed to get refreshed enough to attack another month of painting. I usually suffer some sort of injury when we get together for the Fourth. I did manage to step directly on my black dog in the dark and fall on my head. I recovered nicely. After The Fourth of July 2009, I'm happy to be able to say I still have ten fingers to paint with for another year!

Shining Spring

2009-07-01T13:29:00.003-05:00

I just had to squeeze one more painting in before the Fourth. I woke up this morning as it was barely getting light. I made a pot of coffee, got a cup and enjoyed a walk around our 6 acres. It was only 58 degrees so it felt like spring. I keep a labyrinth of trails mowed so it is great fun to just wander as the day begins. I have also found it is just as much fun to walk the trails on a hot summer afternoon if you substitute the coffee with something a little colder!!!

Showin' Off

2009-06-30T12:47:00.003-05:00

I actually did this painting two weeks ago on a weekend and never blogged it.This week will not be very productive as far as new paintings go. I'm getting ready for Fourth of July festivities. This is the first one I've had completely off in years. With both sons coming in with their lovely women AND granddaughter Clara plus other family, it will be great fun. Happy Independence Day to everyone and remember why we celebrate. God bless the USA and all those who protect it !!!

Morning Drummer

2009-06-26T12:13:00.004-05:00

In today's painting there are several small things that just make it work for me. The brightness of the grass, the patterns of dark trees and foliage in the background, the shadow of the bird and other subtle things all join together to make this a good painting. I've been married to Debbie for 33 years today. We're like this painting. It seems like there is no one big thing in our life that has kept us together. It's all the small things we think, do and say each day that just makes it work!

Fourth Spring

2009-06-25T13:02:00.004-05:00

I used the reverse of this pose on Tuesday's painting. It's fun to see how the same turkey looks so different by changing the setting. Coming up with a title is a daily challenge. Some titles become obvious as the painting developes. Sometimes the title is chosen at the beginning before I put a drop of paint on. Other times, I've signed the painting and still don't have a title. It would be easier if I could just name them Bob or Don, but then what would you name people? I know our sons would be ticked if I had named them, Old Veteran and Brilliant Sunshine!

Sunny Slope

2009-06-24T14:47:00.003-05:00

I know many people spend a big part of their life in a small office or cubicle and hate it. I'm happy to be inside painting today. With the temperature 95 plus, my small desk in my small room seems very comfortable with the air conditioning blasting. I spent 13 years in my sign business back in the 70's and 80's. I got my share of hot summer days while painting and maintaining my billboards. My specialty was large signs up to 12'x48'. It would take 768 of my paintings to equal one that big. That would be a flock of turkeys!

King's Profile

2009-06-23T14:00:00.003-05:00

I really wanted to throw some color in today. One of my all time favorite flowers is the Indian Paint-brush. With all the colors that reflect off the feathers of a gobbler, I can use all the colors of the rainbow. When I started painting years ago, Robert Bateman was my favorite artist. I loved his detail and use of subdued colors. Later, the art of Thomas Kinkade, with brilliant colors and lighting started me toward a wider, more colorful palette.I don't think I'm in the same class as those guys.....but, I'd challenge either to a race painting a wild turkey gobbler!!!

Big Ole Boys

2009-06-22T15:01:00.003-05:00

I had a great Father's Day weekend. Lots of food and fun is very refreshing, but it has residual effects. I'll bet I gained 10 lbs. I'll have to do lots of yard work this week. I don't ever take off any weight sitting at this table painting turkeys. It's in the 90's today so any activity outside will cause weight loss, except the one I'm going to do.....float in the pool with a cold one!

Remembering Spring

2009-06-19T15:09:00.004-05:00

With the first day of Summer one day away, this is officially my last painting of Spring '09. I went back to all the photos I took of this old boy a week before turkey season. I picked what I consider the "classic" pose. I can't help but wonder if this gobbler is still down in the timber. If you remember my turkey season, you know I didn't cause him any harm. Maybe I'm getting old, but I'm glad I was armed only with a camera when we crossed paths. Who am I kidding? Even with a fully loaded 12 ga. and a pocket of shells, the odds are still stacked in his favor. I AM getting old!!!

Spring Harmony

2009-06-17T14:01:00.003-05:00

Summer is here! It's hotter than Kellie Pickler out there. Today's painting has been tough and I'm ready to head out and jump in the pool. This may be shorter than usual. I like to try to come up with something to make this interesting. Sometimes I use up all my creativity on the artwork. I can't come up with any words of wit today. I just can't force it because.....wit happens!

Soundin' Off

2009-06-16T14:04:00.003-05:00

This morning I sat in the gallery and looked over all the 9x12 turkey originals I've completed during the past six months. I wanted to study them to see if some stood out as really good representatives of my current turkey art. My eye kept coming back to this pose. To me this tells it all about gobblers. They are simply magical when they're strutting. Their gobble can double the heart rate of any turkey hunter. This old gobbling bird just makes me feel good. Isn't that what art is supposed to do?

Hillside Show

2009-06-15T15:12:00.003-05:00

It's Monday and four days since I made a turkey. Other business and yard work filled up those days, but I was fresh and ready to paint this morning. Real Summer is going to arrive this week with some 90 degree days in the forecast. I plan to paint every day, but I look directly out the window at our pool so....... I'll try! This is the first Summer in about six years I'll have all weekends off. We have outdoor speakers at the pool and love to chill out there and crank the Country Tunes. Debbie decided she has found my"theme song". It's Billy Currington's, "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy" I agree with Debbie AND Billy!!!

Dawn's Early Light

2009-06-10T14:20:00.004-05:00

Every day I paint, I always have the country music cranked up. Time passes really fast as one great song after another plays on the SIRIUS radio channel. They play all the current hits and also the best of the 80's and 90's. I listen so many hours that I know most of the words to most of the songs. Yes, I do sing along at the top of my lungs. I've often told Debbie that I should have been a country singer. We agree the ONLY thing that stands between me and super stardom is singing ability!

Misty Trio

2009-06-09T14:28:00.003-05:00

I was feeling pretty energetic this morning, so I decided to try a three bird layout. When painting a one day painting, I'm attentive to the amount of elements I put in. I'm not on a time clock, so when I'm feeling fresh I try something a little more challenging. I must admit that I have used up all of that excess energy today. Right now there is a huge thunderstorm rattling the windows in our house. I love to watch a good storm, so I'll head outside for the show. However, I really don't want a good bolt of lightning to be the thing that re-energizes me!

Warm Colors

2009-06-08T13:36:00.003-05:00

Debbie and I had a great weekend baby-sitting our granddaughter, Clara, at our oldest son's home in Liberty, Mo. We did lots of fun stuff, but still had lots of rest time during naps. I took full advantage of this and painted every time I got a chance. I actually finished an entire painting. Since they live in town and the yard is small, there's not much for an old country boy to do outside. I feel very blessed to live in the country where there is a restroom in any direction!

Field of Daisies

2009-06-04T12:25:00.004-05:00

Yesterday evening my dog, April, and I took a golf cart ride down the old, dead end road behind our house. We're the only house on the road, so it's a real good place to see all kinds of wildlife late in the day. April likes to crowd in right behind the wheel (she's about 80 lbs.). I think she'd drive if I'd let her, but she is easily distracted SQUIRREL and she bails out. I was enjoying the daisies blooming everywhere when I spotted a turkey feather in the road. It was a huge primary(wing) feather from a gobbler, 18" long! Of course this gave me the idea for today's painting. Like I've said before, it only looks like I'm goofing off. I'm ALWAYS working!

Brotherhood

2009-06-03T14:07:00.003-05:00

When I arrived at the old painting table this morning, it was cloudy and rainy. As the morning wore on, the clouds got thinner and eventually the sun began to break through. I noticed that the more sunlight there was, the faster I worked. I took fewer breaks and the painting just flew by. The day turned into a Bluebird day. My concentration even got better. Some might conclude increasing sunlight entering the cornea actually increases productivity. Nope! I just want to get OUTSIDE!

Old Warrior

2009-06-02T13:59:00.003-05:00

The forecast for today was thunderstorms and possibly heavy rain. You just have to paint a gobblin' gobbler on a day like this. Even though it's June, I know those old gobblers are exploding with every rumble. My poor dog, April, is really scared of thunder. She is an impurebred Black Something. She was hand delivered to my ditch about five years ago during turkey season. Even though she was only about six weeks old, she laid by and guarded a gobbler, all day, that we had taken the morning we found her. She's been my runnin' buddy ever since. Right now she's hiding in the basement wondering when I'm going to finish today's painting!

Golden Thunder

2009-06-01T13:22:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend for our granddaughter's first birthday! Lots of food, swimming, music and about fifteen family members on an absolutely beautiful , summer-like day. Debbie and I got to spend lots of time with our sons and their women. We even had a big old bonfire and stayed up until midnight. It was perfect! When this morning dawned I was ready to paint. Life is good!

Double Up

2009-05-27T13:06:00.002-05:00

I looked out our sunroom window this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see two summer-sleek does about thirty yards away. I imagine they each have fawns fairly close. Maybe they'll drop in later in the summer with some little visitors. Speaking of little visitors, our granddaughter, Clara Jean, is coming over tonight. She turns one on Friday. I'll be mowing and getting ready for her party here. I don't know if I can squeeze in another painting this week.

Spring Spotlight

2009-05-26T13:24:00.006-05:00

While I wander through the progression of my paintings, I have a lot of time to think. Today I wondered where this painting would be in ten or twenty or even thirty years. How many different walls, different rooms or different homes will it hang? Maybe someone will buy it for their favorite turkey hunter. Maybe it will become one of their favorite possessions. Maybe they will pass it on to a young turkey hunter in their family. I hope so. That's why I painted it!

Tearin' it Up

2009-05-22T12:58:00.003-05:00

I like to keep doing something different from day to day. Since yesterday's painting had no ground cover at all, I decided to put this gobbler butt deep in grass. I guess ,maybe I should have named it that. It is a challenge to think of good titles for as many paintings as I do. I do believe I'll put "Butt Deep" on the back burner for right now!

Simple Splendor

2009-05-21T11:49:00.004-05:00

Every painting I do goes through three stages, the beginning, middle and end. The beginning is the choice of pose and a general direction I want to take with the composition, lighting, etc.. This is the easy stage. The middle is the scary part since I actually have to execute, as skillfully as possible, what I've chosen to do. I also have to put in some good turkeys. The third stage is deciding when the painting is done. More than once, I've added more than was necessary to have a good painting. Today I came to a point where everything I added, I took back out. I guess it's done!

May Magic

2009-05-20T12:05:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you wake up just plain ready to get to work. After a FULL day, yesterday, of mowing, deck staining, power-washing, etc., I couldn't wait to sit down at this table and paint a turkey! I got everything laid out, cranked the country music up and started slingin' the acrylic. I even knew just what I wanted to paint. I've worked my whole life hoping to retire. If I retired tomorrow, I'd do exactly what I did today!!!

Two Steppin'

2009-05-18T15:06:00.004-05:00

This has got to be the most beautiful day of 2009 so far! If I can stay inside and complete a painting on a day like this, I'm relatively sure I could handle bamboo under the fingernails and water-boarding simultaneously! However... the painting is complete and I've got two dogs laying outside staring at the front door waiting for me to go to the pond and watch them catch frogs. Believe it or not ... it's one of my favorite things to do. I'm teaching them catch-and-release.(doesn't always work!)

Golden Glow

2009-05-15T13:58:00.004-05:00

This has been the most dreary, rainy, drab, miserable day we have had in awhile. I can't help but think about all the nesting turkeys when it rains like this. The more it rained, the more light I tried to stick in this painting. My painting room got so dark at one point today, I had to rig up extra lighting to work. Got to look at the bright side on days like this... it's Friday!!!

Comrades

2009-05-14T14:21:00.004-05:00

Today I decided to take the cold painting from yesterday and slap a little spring to it. I used the same layout of the gobblers exactly . It amazes me the difference a background makes. Yesterday's painting makes me want to put on gloves and a stocking cap. Todays painting makes me want to put on the tick repellent!

Last Snow

2009-05-13T14:16:00.003-05:00

Yesterday's painting was very green and summer-like... so today's is not. I just slowly got into the mood to do Merriams as I worked on the birds. I'd bought a new color of blue and was wanting to try it out. When I put two gobblers in a painting, I don't like to add alot of background. It gets too busy fast. The last thing I want in my turkey art is fast busificity!

Filtered Rays

2009-05-12T14:38:00.004-05:00

Summer is officially here since turkey season is over. Painting inside this time of the year is hard with the beautiful, warm days. Yesterday was a perfect example. I actually sat down to paint and the next thing I knew I was trimming branches, cleaning eave troughs and mowing. Even though I love to paint, it is my work. I did worry a little, while I did the yard work, that I should be painting. Even though I didn't add artwork to the world yesterday, the sun still came up this morning....(and when it did, I hurried down here and got my butt to painting, 'cause now I'm one behind!!!)

Greenin' Up

2009-05-08T15:04:00.004-05:00

My turkey season has come and gone and it was a really good one. There were close encounters with some tough toms, hours of watching spring charge in and lots of fun with my hunting buddy, young Donnie Stuver. There are no dead turkeys at the end of our stories, but cold beer and "sammiches" at Tall Paul's sure helped us lick our wounds! Donnie is very patient hunting with an artist. He will wait for me to take a closer look at a flower or an interesting clump of moss. He even listens as I point out all the yellow on a Yellow-rumped warbler. If you take your time, really look closely and the light is just right... You can almost watch his eyes glass over! Here's to next year.

Springtime '09

2009-05-04T13:59:00.005-05:00

Today begins the third week of Missouri's turkey season. Although there are no dead turkeys in any of my new stories, I have some really good new stories. My calling is better than ever. I called in today's subject and got thirty photos of him. My hunting buddy, young Donnie Stuver, and I have worked some very tough toms. We called in the hens of two very henned-up gobblers. One tom came to within 15 feet of my ear and gobbled twice. That was cool! Donnie got a fifteen yard bow shot. The broadhead he shoots is designed for a head shot only. He missed by a nanomillimeter. Hey, we still had a blast, it's hunting. While hunting with brother John and two of his business partners I found out 40 years of hunting experience is not enough insulation to prevent STUPID. Long, embarassing story short, I moved when I should have stayed put, costing one of the partners his FIRST bird. Ever seen that commercial, Wanna get away?

Bluebells

2009-04-15T14:19:00.003-05:00

It's a beautiful day out and it has been really hard to finish this painting. I'll bet I've walked outside a dozen times or more. To tell the truth this could be the last one before turkey season. I can sure use a recharging of my turkey creative battery. I can't wait to get out there and watch spring zoom in on us. It's been almost seven years since I've painted full-time. I've always had something else to worry about as I sat in the timber turkey hunting. Not this year!!!

Big Timber Echo

2009-04-14T14:44:00.004-05:00

This day started cloudy,cold and depressing. I had a hard time figuring out what to paint. Youngest son, Daniel, texted from college that he blew an exam. The painting was just not taking off. Debbie came home at noon worried about everything. I even went out to make sure the dog was alive. Then...the sun came out! It is simply amazing what the warm rays of sunshine can fix. I started putting some lipstick on this pig and like that chef on TV says, BAM, got myself a silk purse. I can just hear this old boy gobble and that puts me in a great mood. Now I'll have to see if I can put some sunshine in Daniel and Debbie's day!

King of the Hill

2009-04-13T15:39:00.004-05:00

It's just one of those Mondays I fight to get through...cold,rainy and just plain depressing. I didn't have to worry about looking out the window too much today. I wanted to try the violet background again. I really like the look of misty timber it gives. Everything here is really getting green. All we need is some sunshine for more than one day in a row and spring will explode! Turkey season is one week from today!!!

Violet Haze

2009-04-10T14:48:00.003-05:00

I've been going over photos,paintings, and turkey videos to get fresh ideas to add to this large number of paintings I'm attempting. In the NWTF 2008 annual report was a very small picture of a turkey stamp that just took my breath away. I took one of my similar poses and tried to capture that color and light. I'm really happy with today's painting. In regard to the painting that inspired this piece, it is probably the best turkey painting I've ever seen. The artist wasn't named, but I'll find out who painted it. I've collected many prints from other artists. You might be surprised to hear, I'm not my favorite artist!

Dogwood Dance

2009-04-08T14:00:00.004-05:00

It's been hectic here with business, which is good news, but it slows down the painting. I got this one started yesterday and finished it just now. My son, Eric, pointed out I had not done any dogwoods yet. Most of the dogwoods grow south of us here, so I don't see any when I hunt.I do know that throngs of hunters consider them the harbinger of spring. I've got a hunting buddy in Tennessee (Dr. Hammond Cole) who probably is right now setting in the dogwoods getting ready to bang a turkey. It's sunny and sixty here. I'm heading outside!

Glory in the Grass

2009-04-06T16:34:00.003-05:00

We had a great weekend with our boys and their women. We cooked steaks on an open fire. It doesn't get any better than that for me! I started today's painting with granddaughter Clara on my lap. I guess that would be better! I even let her hold my favorite brush. My favorite thing to do is create the look of light . Since it is Monday, I decided to do a fun painting so...the look of light it was. I'm still always looking to improve my turkeys. I did some subtle things that helped. I think only God can make the perfect turkey. I don't expect to compete with that. Look at how much practice He has had!

Giant Oak

2009-04-03T14:09:00.003-05:00

In all my paintings, so far, the turkey is always a big element. Today I wanted to try to capture that they sometimes actually look pretty small in particular habitats. A scene like this is my dream hunt (warm sunshine, big trees,enough leaves to hear them walking, about eleven-thirty, big old struttin' gobbler). I think I just went on a mini turkey hunt! You can tell the season is getting closer! The sun is shining, both Eric and Daniel are coming home with their women(especially little Clara) and I'm done for the week. Life is good!

Past and Present

2009-04-02T17:28:00.005-05:00

It was a beautiful day yesterday and I needed a day in the woods. My oldest brother John and I headed down to his wetlands farm of over four hundred acres. We walked everything that didn't have standing water. We jumped turkeys, ducks, pelicans and my favorite, a pileated woodpecker. I love to identify tracks of every kind and this farm has everything. We had not spent a day together like this in years. It was a perfect day! On the way back we drove past an old barn, so I decided right then to put a barn in today's painting. It only looked like I was goofing off all day. I was really hard at work!

Walkin' and Talkin'

2009-03-31T14:13:00.004-05:00

I decided to do a gobbling bird today. After all, the best part of any turkey hunt is the gobble. As the sun comes up outside my window, I can see it's filtered brightness like in today's painting. Today the sun really made the bushes glow outside my window. Since those two gobblers visited my yard a few days ago, I find myself looking out the window more. To reach my goal of pre-season paintings, I may have to move to a room without windows!

Greener Pastures

2009-03-30T15:39:00.003-05:00

It is Monday and absolutely beautiful out. Every day it gets greener and greener here. It is getting hard not to make excuses to go turkey scouting and skip the painting, but I am pure of heart and dedicated to a fault. It's hard to get self motivated sometimes, so I set goals and I have not yet reached my pre-season number of paintings. I'll keep painting until I reach my goal without fail. (or until I say, ehh that's close enough, I'm outa here!)

Sideline Suitor

2009-03-26T14:17:00.003-05:00

Day by day it gets closer to turkey season here in Missouri. After yesterday's backyard visiting gobblers, I've been thinking about some of the exciting hunts I had east of the house in their stomping grounds. I had alot of success down there. I also spent many hours watching turkeys way out in the open field. I'd call and call thinking I could get the gobbler to leave his birds for one in the bush. A few times I got a quiet surprise! That's this painting.

Lovely Lady

2009-03-25T18:06:00.002-05:00

I'd like to be able to write about this painting, but wait until you hear this! At about two thirty this afternoon while I was studying what to do next on my painting, I glanced out my window. At less than fifteen yards, there are two ,big adult gobblers. One is a hog. I go for the camera. The battery is dead. Now I've got to decide whether to enjoy watching them or go for batteries. There hasn't been a gobbler in this yard since we built the house twenty two years ago. I'm going to need proof. I got a dozen pictures before they wandered off. My heart rate dropped back down from two hundred. I finished the painting!

Crack of Dawn

2009-03-24T15:43:00.002-05:00

This morning it was cold ,rainy and dark so I just wanted to paint something sunny. As an artist my favorite thing to do is capture the look of light. I've done this same idea before so I use different gobblers and different poses to keep it fresh. The sun has just come out and the outside is calling me. The little creek behind the house is really flowing. I think I'll get a lawn chair,go down by the water and research a painting called "Crack of a Cold One".

Two Brothers

2009-03-23T15:36:00.003-05:00

I had a great weekend at my oldest son Eric's home about one hundred miles away. My wife ,Debbie, and I got to hug and kiss our granddaughter,Clara Jean, a bunch. Eric, myself and Mary (my turkey/deer slaying daughter-in-law) built a fire pit Saturday, which was great outside, weenie-roasting entertainment that night. Youngest son ,Daniel,and his lovely girlfriend, Amber, were in constant cell communication as they booked a Spring Break trip to Florida. They stayed at Eric's house Sunday night to get an early flight out today.I'm so proud that the boys are good friends as adults and brothers. To make a short story long, that is the inspiration for today's painting.

Road Boss

2009-03-20T16:34:00.003-05:00

It's been a long day. You would think as many of these turkey paintings that I've done, they would get easier. If I have learned anything about doing an original painting, it's that there are no shortcuts. You must paint them one brush stroke at a time. So after about seven million strokes, I'm going to call this one done. It's Friday... I don't have to be me 'til Monday!

Morning Sun

2009-03-19T14:36:00.002-05:00

This week is really getting away from me. There was no new art for the last two days due to annual yard work. I did get a chance to sketch some new non-strutting gobblers. It was suggested to me to do more non-strutters for variety. It was my oldest brother who told me he didn't like the gobblers as much when they were all poofy. I assured him I'd add some more relaxed positions to my paintings . I also told him to never say the word "poofy" to me again in regard to a turkey!

Morning Moon

2009-03-16T15:44:00.003-05:00

I'm starting out this week tired from weekend work and I couldn't sleep last night. I was actually at my table here at two o'clock AM putting this idea together. The last few morning skies have featured a huge full moon. I've stood outside and watched the trees as light goes from dark to dawn. I wanted to see how much detail and light I could show with a bright moon still in the sky. My dog, April, was absolutely sure I'd finally treed something on my own!

Synthetic Seduction

2009-03-11T16:55:00.004-05:00

This has been a painting that really gets the old turkey hunting fever up! During the painting, my turkey hunting buddy called to tell me he had new calls and was coming over tonight. I've already heard a gobbler back behind the house this year. We'll get the new calls out tonight and work ourselves into a turkey frenzy. Cool title, don't you think?

Two Trophies

2009-03-10T15:07:00.004-05:00

Sunday night I sat here in my painting room and came up with three pretty good ideas. Monday's painting, today's and one more for tomorrow. As it turns out, beer can be a creative catalyst if used under strictly controlled conditions! All three of these ideas are just a little different from what I've painted so far... So far,so good. Tomorrow's painting will be fun. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to do it yet. I guess I'll have to make a catalyst run.

Heads or Tails

2009-03-09T16:15:00.004-05:00

I have been looking over lots of reference photos and watching turkey videos and I always notice one thing. As gobblers interact they spin around alot. As a hunter I constantly wait for and time the turning of a gobbler to make any necessary moves. The backside of a turkey is a very common position, but I seldom paint it. I'm going to use it more to keep more realistic elements in my turkey art.

Morning Strut

2009-03-06T17:09:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was just too warm and pretty out to be inside painting. Actually so is today, but I have to paint sometime. I started this morning with a new sketch. It took me almost two hours to get this really puffed up, head tucked back pose. Some may think a strutting gobbler is a strutting gobbler, but there can be thousands of little, subtle differences. I am going to keep painting until I've done them all.

Mountain Magic

2009-03-04T16:27:00.004-06:00

Today is a beautiful springlike day. I will only be in long enough to finish this. I have fun painting the rocks in these Merriams paintings. They start out as white blobs then develop slowly with detail and shadows. I guess everything in my paintings develops slowly with many layers of different colored paint. Watching me paint is like going to a turtle race featuring very old turtles!

Texas Tough

2009-03-03T15:19:00.004-06:00

Today I decided to do the Rio Grande in a rough, dry, rocky, Texas background. I'll bet these old gobblers don't have any wing tips left after struttin' on this stuff! It's amazing how Mother Nature has adapted the wild turkey to such a wide spectrum of habitat. Do you think a Texas Rio Grande sounds like he has an accent to a New York Eastern? Probably sounds like he's from Arkansas.

Florida Fine

2009-03-02T15:45:00.002-06:00

As it turns out, the "Grand Slam" was a popular idea. I sold all four of them Friday, plus a couple of the others. So... I will spend this week painting another set. This is good news, since I do this for a living! The timing is perfect since I still have all my reference material laid out. It'll be fun to take these four, move the elements around, change lighting and create four new originals.

Eastern Spring

2009-02-26T16:58:00.003-06:00

Today's painting completes the "Grand Slam" with the Eastern wild turkey. The weather outside is cold, windy and rainy. I decided to make this painting as spring beautiful as I could. One of my favorite parts of turkey hunting on a beautiful spring day is just sitting, listening, smelling and feeling the morning. As I painted this, I thought about birds singing and the temperature rising as a spring morning passes. I tried to create a good spot in the background for a hunter to tuck into. I've always said, I hunt in black and white. Since I've started these paintings, more of my hunting time will be in color!

Western Pride

2009-02-25T16:34:00.003-06:00

It seemed to take forever for me to decide on a specific direction for this painting. After much thought, I decided to try a subtle difference on the gobbler's breast feathers. I wanted to do a round, smooth look. Since this is a Merriams turkey, I really wanted to accent the almost white feathers. I chose a dark pine timber. It's such a nice day out, I took a short break at noon to walk through my pine trees. After looking at the pine needles and bark, smelling the pine scent, and painting this scene, I feel like I took a mini trip to Montana today and it didn't cost me a dime!

Cactus King

2009-02-24T15:58:00.003-06:00

Today was No. 2 in the "Grand Slam" week, the Rio Grande. I have been in Rio Grande habitat and have experienced cactus up close and very personal butt, that's another story. I wanted to make sure this painting had an arid look , so I eased off the green. Today went real smooth. From sketch to finish, I never had that lost feeling that seems to accompany most of my paintings. Yay for me! Tomorrow I'm painting a cooler spot.

Southern Colors

2009-02-23T15:50:00.003-06:00

It's a beautiful, sunny Monday but the temperature is freezing outside. I've decided to try the four different types of turkeys common in the US. This will be my "Grand Slam" of turkey art. Since it's so cold, I'll start with our warm weather friend ,the Osceola. Since I've never seen one, I had to do a little research this weekend to get the physical characteristics and habitat as close as possible. I wish it was Friday so I could go to my blog and see what I'm painting for Tuesday!

Shadow's Edge

2009-02-19T17:15:00.002-06:00

I've noticed when turkey hunting, as the sun gets over the horizon, shadows are everywhere. The real early shadows are the strongest. If two turkeys are walking together and one steps out in to the light, he can look like he's glowing. The bird in the shadow might be barely visible. As an artist, watching the color difference as the turkeys go in and out of the light is almost as fun as hunting. Well not quite, but it is fun! That's what I tried to show in this painting.

Called In

2009-02-18T15:45:00.003-06:00

As it gets closer to turkey season, I'm watching more hunting videos for new ideas and entertainment. To me the most exiciting of all hunting scenes is the appearance of a gobbler at point blank range without having watched his approach. It really gets the old adrenaline pumping as each gobble gets closer and closer. You know he's coming, but you can't see him. He goes quiet. You just know he has to be right there. Then he pops over the hill right in your lap! That's this painting.

Picture Perfect

2009-02-17T14:46:00.005-06:00

I've had this sketch on the masonite panel for several days, but I just couldn't decide what to do with it. Since I did a very light background yesterday I wanted to try something really dark today. I always try to paint a gobbler that is looking his best. We've all seen them with missing or out of place feathers, but who wants a painting of that? This old boss looks like a kid ready for his class picture...Picture Perfect.

Golden Mist

2009-02-16T15:17:00.003-06:00

I was excited to get started on this Monday morning . Over the weekend, I had shown a small study painting that tested an idea to my sons, Eric and Daniel. It showed three gobblers in a misty field. Even though the study was small, rough and not detailed at all, they liked it. They were actually pretty enthusiastic about it. That gets me excited. I hope they and you like the finished painting. If you noticed a better format to my blog, my daughter-in-law, Mary, worked all weekend to remodel it and try to help me with my computer skills. She was able to bring my skill level up to that of an elderly chimpanzee!

Golden Gobbler

2009-02-15T08:43:00.002-06:00

It's Sunday so I'm not doing a new painting today. I did want to add this one I painted a couple weeks ago, since it is my favorite. It's not that it's better than the others , the whole piece just seems to work ( light,detail,pose ,composition). It looks like this bird might have just heard the click of a safety!

Hardwoods Handsome

2009-02-14T17:16:00.004-06:00

I painted this painting yesterday , which was Friday the Thirteenth. The entire day seemed jinxed as I worked to get the blue background right. The hours flew by with seemingly little progress. Finally at about two o'clock things started looking up. It was early evening before I could finish. I actually don't think the unlucky date had anything to do with my difficulties. Some paintings are just harder than others.

Creek's Edge

2009-02-11T17:06:00.005-06:00

Our beautiful warm weather has fallen to a cold wet dreary day. That does not stop the turkey art in this house. Since Mother Nature gave us some needed rain, I decided to put some water in today's painting. I really struggled with the exact pose for the gobbler and the composition. After almost two hours of sketching and layout work, I was finally ready to paint. Not all days go according to schedule. I don't punch a clock anyway!

Step Into Spring

2009-02-10T15:16:00.005-06:00

Good grief it's nice out. I'm going out as soon as I finish this. With such beautiful weather today and a possible chance of snow this weekend, I decided to put a little snow in today's painting. I know the gobblers are feeling spring in the air on a day like this. The fun thing about painting snow is I seldom use pure white.( lots of blues, purple, and believe it or not , green)

Evening Glow

2009-02-09T15:16:00.004-06:00

Today is gorgeous and very springlike. It even rained a little this morning. I'll bet the turkeys even strutted a little too. Last night as the sun set , the sky in the east was deep blue. The last rays of sunshine on the trees made them really glow. It gave me the idea to try a cool blue background with warm golden colors on the gobbler. I put a touch of light on the leaves and stopped. Less is more!

Twin Pack

2009-02-05T14:59:00.004-06:00

Today's a beautiful springlike day. I wanted to do a two bird layout. I couldn't decide on a background, so I just started playing around with some shapes behind the turkeys. The rocky bluff just kind of developed on it's own. I don't always have a plan! I actually came up with the title from a bottle of Heinz ketchup at lunch.

Dawn's Call

2009-02-04T15:57:00.003-06:00

I decided this morning to do a gobbling turkey... so ,why not put him in a tree? I had fun with this one . Doing tree bark is fun.

Foggy Hollow

2009-02-03T16:19:00.006-06:00

I tried the foggy background today. It was pretty tough. I like it though...that's why you're getting to see it. Tomorrow I'm going dark!

Spring Pines

2009-02-02T19:11:00.004-06:00

With the start of a new month, I decided to try a new background--pine trees. During the month of February I'll be trying several types of new backgrounds--but you'll never see them if they don't look good! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings-- I'll decide at 6AM.

Welcome to the Wildlife Art of Terry Hoyt Blogspot!

2009-01-31T13:27:00.008-06:00

Keep up to date with new daily paintings as well as information about each piece on this blogsite.