June 26-29, 2010 ~ National Holstein Convention
July 12, 2010 ~ The Bonnie Mohr Studio and Glenmark Genetics (the dairy herd of John and Bonnie Mohr) was a stop on the National Holstein Convention tour. This candid photo was taken on Sunday, June 27 at the farm in Glencoe, Minnesota. John and Bonnie were hosts to hundreds of people into their home, art studio, and tie stall barn. Everyone who went through the food line saw these two images (the print and the quote that inspired it), including eight buses and many carloads of people. There were many positive comments on the “Foster Mothers of the Human Race” painting. Bonnie had extra staff on duty to assist customers with their purchases during the tour stop.
June 24, 2010 ~ The national Holstein Convention heads to Minnesota this weekend. The last time it was in Minnesota, it was twenty-one years ago. (1989). Glenmark Genetics, owned by John and Bonnie Mohr, is one of the farm tours during the convention. You can see great cows in the barn, and just as attractive ones in Bonnie’s art studio. You can see (and purchase) The “Foster Mother’s of the Human Race” print or artist proof for yourself while on tour.
Foster Mothers Of The Human Race ~ Project Completed! …………
June 8, 2010 ~ Greeted by a standing ovation, the newest edition of the Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting was revealed today at the Hoard’s Dairyman farm during a 125th Anniversary Celebration. The painting was unveiled by creator and artist Bonnie Mohr and W.D. Hoard and Sons President Brian Knox. A crowd of over 100 was on hand to watch the unveiling. Representatives from each of the seven breed organizations were also present at the event to receive specialty remarked prints from Hoard’s Dairyman in celebration of their breed’s presence in the painting.
June 7, 2010 ~ t’s a Balancing Act!
Bonnie Mohr is known for her fine art, but balancing her life as a mother, wife, artist and dairy farmer is an art unto itself. Take a listen to her daily routine, and how she tries to keep all the components in her life balanced, yet moving forward. Watch tomorrow as the painting is unveiled!
June 4, 2010 ~ Bonnie Mohr has completed the painting, Foster Mothers of the Human Race. She reflects on the past several months of creating the updated version of this iconic image. The painting will be unveiled next Tuesday, June 8. Watch for more videos soon!
June 1, 2010 ~ From paint to printing plate, the new Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting has now headed to the printers! We were there with Bonnie as she viewed the first pieces to come off the press. Bonnie carefully inspects them and adjusts the press’ color output to make sure it is just as it should be. Watch her explain the process and tweaking in the video below. The excitement for the unveiling is building here in our office — we’re just one week away!
May 25, 2010 ~ Where did we get this crazy idea? Well, in this video, Bonnie tells you. She’ll refer to Gary who is Gary Vorpahl, our Director of Marketing. Bonnie will also tell you how she came up with (and labored) over the look of each cow. One thing is for certain — she certainly captured each breed’s uniqueness! We cannot wait to show you the finished piece. . .let’s start the countdown now. The unveiling will take place on June 8; that’s only 14 days away! Yay!
May 11, 2010 ~ The artist of our brand new Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting is certainly entrenched in the realities of today’s dairy industry. She lives (and breathes) it every day on her family’s dairy farm located in Glencoe, McLeod County, Minn., just an hour from the Twin Cities. Learn about Bonnie’s background filled with cows in this video message from Bonnie!
April 16, 2010 ~ Bonnie has completed the underpainting, and has progressed into using several colors in the painting. Listen as she talks about a challenging breed to paint.
April 12, 2010 ~ The Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting is progressing well. As an artist works their craft, they aim for perfection. So, in the process of creating a painting, where does the artist make alterations or changes to better reflect the desired look? Maybe it is the placement of an item, the position of a head or leg, or the expression on a face. Bonnie shares with you the steps she takes in painting and addresses when she prefers to make alterations to the image.
April 6, 2010 ~ Bonnie continues with the painting of the Foster Mothers of the Human Race. Listen to some of the challenges she is encountering as she paints this special image.
March 30, 2010 ~ Bonnie is hard at work on the new Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting, and we are excited to share this video message from Bonnie about the underpainting — the monochrome framework of the finished piece.
March 23, 2010 ~ A cow is not just a cow to Bonnie Mohr. She is currently laboring over each breed to give them all the most realistic look as possible. In this video message from Bonnie (sketch pencil in hand), she discusses her keen attention to each of the breed’s unique qualities and to the structure of every cow. We’d like to thank Bonnie’s daughter, Taylor, for helping film this video post. And, if you saw this video and were excited to see an early preview of the entire sketch of the painting, think again. We’ve altered the video just enough so you can’t see the entire image. Don’t worry. It’s not your screen; the video looks “dreamy” on purpose.
March 16, 2010 ~ With her feet planted deep in the soil of rural Minnesota, Bonnie Mohr doesn’t just paint life in rural America — she lives it every day. Her’s comes complete with a husband, five kids all actively involved in the dairy industry, a herd of Holsteins and Jerseys, and a dog named Stella. Also, we’d like to extend our congratulations to Bonnie for recently becoming the mother of Minnesota’s Jersey Queen. Learn more about Bonnie and her upbringing as a reader of Hoard’s Dairyman in this video below.
March 9, 2010 ~ While 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade, it also marks a momentous occasion for Hoard’s Dairyman. On January 23, 1885, William Dempster Hoard launched the first edition of Hoard’s Dairyman. This year, our 125th anniversary, we’ve asked world-renowned dairy artist Bonnie Mohr of Glencoe, Minn., to help us create an updated Foster Mothers of the Human Race painting. With a century and a quarter under our belts, we know this fresh look on the famous Foster Mothers print will be a great launching point for future years of service to the dairy industry. The original Foster Mothers print was created in 1957 followed by updates in 1963, 1991, and 1993 — all of which were painted by former Hoard’s Dairyman Art Director James Baird.
You’ll find this all-new painting on the June 2010 cover of Hoard’s Dairyman. This celebratory issue will highlight landmarks of the dairy industry and Hoard’s Dairyman in the past 125 years. Luckily, you won’t have to wait until June to get a sneak peak of the painting. We’ll be catching up with Bonnie throughout the painting process. Recently, we sat down with Bonnie to visit with her about her excitement for this project.
