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AUBURN — When Shirley Akers looks into a cow's eyes, she sees more than a future hamburger.

She sees character - a lot of it.

"To me, they just have a lot of personality - even more so than a horse," she says.

And that's why, as many artists focus on scenic pictures of deer drinking from streams or horses galloping along, Akers, a member of the Lawrence Art Guild, has dedicated her artistic endeavors to capturing acrylic paintings of lumbering cows.

Her paintings, which appear on panels, canvas or even wooden doors, are for cows what the official portraits are for U.S. presidents - straight-on, close-up views that attempt to capture the entire demeanor of the subjects in one take.

Akers, 60, pulls a fading photograph from a Ziploc baggie. It's one of the ones she likes to look at for inspiration.

"There's just something about them," she says. "Like this one."

The photograph shows a white-faced steer, its head cocked in a "You got a problem, buddy?" pose.

"This one has attitude," she says. "Don't you think?"

As part of the quarterly Downtown Gallery Walk, one of Akers' works, a 6-foot door panel featuring a "family photo" pose of several cattle, will be displayed tonight at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

The walk, featuring works at 10 downtown galleries, runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Akers grew up in Topeka but often spent weekends at her uncle and aunt's farm near Oskaloosa. She later married a farmer, Marvin, and the couple worked land near Osage City for several decades before recently moving to Marvin's family farm in 1993.

In the mid-1970s, Akers started painting. Naturally, she gravitated toward farm scenes.

"I painted barns," she says. "But everybody paints barns."

So she started painting cows. Sometimes, she goes out and paints them in person. Other times, she relies on photos taken by herself or others and paints in the studio.

She says the toughest part of painting a cow is making sure all the parts are proportionate. The black ones are difficult to paint, too, because their features aren't as easily distinguished.

'Like people'

The goal always is to capture the cow's individual character.

She usually names her paintings after the idea a cow might be thinking in the pose. Examples:

¢ "Fish is a Healthy Choice."

¢ "What's Your Beef, Sir?"

¢ "Curious Neighbor"

Bill Wood, agriculture extension agent for Douglas County, can vouch for the idea that cows do, in fact, each have their own personality.

"Definitely," he says. "Cows are like people. Some cows are very friendly and cordial, love you and will come up. Other cows are maybe a little more pushy - if you have a feed bucket, they'll try to run you over. Some are flighty or standoffish. Some get pretty wild while they're around people."

Jo Flager is an Ottawa artist and rancher who sends Akers photos of cows for inspiration. She says not everyone appreciates the demeanor of a cow.

"She does a wonderful job with anything she tries to paint," Flager says. "With the cows, she really has the personality down. You almost feel like you could go up and pet them or something. She really does capture the real cow."

Flager says anyone who has spent time around a farm will appreciate Akers' artwork.

"It's very Kansas," she says. "I just think it appeals to a lot of people that like common things, homey things, Kansas things."

Moo-ving on

Akers says she plans to continue painting cows. The cow works are popular with buyers, but Akers says she may someday go on to another subject.

"I enjoy doing the cows, and getting the character of them," she says. "Sometimes, I feel a little like a conveyor belt."

A small panel painting might take 12 hours to complete. A larger piece, such as the one on display at the Lawrence Public Library, takes several months.

Akers does do other art - both Kansas scenes that don't involve cows and collages dealing with a variety of subjects.

But she realizes she's quickly becoming known as being the woman who paints cows.

"My son-in-law asked if I wanted to be known as the cow lady," she says. "I don't know. But I guess I am."

The Lawrence Downtown Gallery Walk, which happens once every three months, is from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. July 28 at 10 galleries downtown. See map of gallery locations and and featured artists »