Young Artist Creates A Car Hood Cow

Young Artist Creates A Car Hood Cow AG WORLD 33-5-22 Chris McConnell took 150 photos of cows and drew several rough sketches before he turned a pile of 2 by 4's and 25 car hoods into a 19-ft. long Holstein stationed in front of the Vancura Gallery of Fine Arts in Middlefield, Ohio. It's the second large commissioned sculpture for the 23-year-old Cleveland Institute of Art student, and he has plans for even bigger sculptures in the future. "Everyone had their doubts for about a month and a half," McConnell laughs. He says his experience milking cows as a youth helped create the realistic sculpture. He also had experience from his first project ù a 35-ft. long horse and buggy all made out of 2 by 4's. McConnell made several trips to a junkyard 30 miles away to pick up car hoods from all types of domestic and foreign models. He knocked out the supporting frames with a pickaxe and cut the hood with tin snips into pieces for the cow's body. "The stomach is one whole hood. Some pieces still have the window washer nozzles," he says. He added a couple old baseballs for eyes and a piece of Lake Erie shipping rope for the tail. McConnell's 13-year-old helper, Wayne Byler, painted nine coats of driveway sealer over the entire cow. McConnell added the white markings with oil base paint. The cow has quickly become a popular local attraction. McConnell says he has "lots of energy" and ideas for even bigger sculptures in the future. He already has detailed plans to make a 116-yard long dragon out of telephone poles. "If anyone has land that needs a dragon, give me a call," McConnell says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chris McConnell, P.O. Box 543, Middlefield, Ohio 44062 (chrismcconnell2@gmail.com).

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