NOTE: All artwork on this website is copyrighted by the artist, Jane McCauley, and may not be reproduced in any way without written permission of the artist.

Some years ago my Dad, Charles W. McCauley, Sr., gave me some 75 slates from his 100 year old farmhouse roof. (Some painted samples are here below.)

Above: "CROSSROADS" jpg. ; 10"x16"; A country lane comes to a crossroad. Which way will the boy decide to go. Sheep and lambs in the foreground look on, along with some horses in the background. We all have a "crossroad" sometime in our life. Choose wisely.

Below: "THE BEARS WENT OVER THE MOUNTAIN...." jpg. ; 12"x24"; Mama black bear and her three cubs come to the top of a mountain meadow, to "see what they can see". It's autumn, and pretty soon they will all hibernate for the winter.

While Daddy was in the process of having it re-roofed, his sister, Doris Berry, was visiting from California. She suggested that he give me some of the slates, thinking maybe, I could put them to good use. Really, I didn't want them at the time. I didn't know what I would do with them! But, not wanting to hurt Daddy and Doris' feelings....I took them! They sat around in my art studio for months. One day when I didn't have much to do, I decided to try painting on one. I LOVED IT! (Thanks Daddy and Doris!) The Lord impressed on me to also include a  Bible Scripture on each slate, that would describe the scene. I painted them all, and they sold like....slate "hotcakes"! Now, I wished that  Daddy had made me take more of the slate

Below: "LIVING WATER" jpg. ; Whitetail buck deer drinks from a rocky stream in the forest in the autumn.

-shingles! Well, now I really needed more slates! So, I said to the Lord, " Well, God, I need more slates. They don't grow on trees, you know. So, if You want me to paint on them, You'll have to provide them!" I really didn't think  that He would take me seriously! Which goes to prove that if you don't want it, then don't pray for it! God always answers prayers!

Below: "IRIS" jpg. ; 10"x16"; Beautiful iris blooms of purple and white, with a Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.

A local magazine had just done an article about me, and my slate-paintings. Right after it came out, a lady about 40 miles away read it. Her neighbor was re-roofing her deceased Dad's old farmhouse, and the roof was slate! She was going to just throw them away! Her neighbor said, "You must read the article in this magazine!" She did. Then, she called me and said, "I know this is silly, but, do you need slates?" WOW! I told her I'd love them! She said she had some from her Dad's old roof. She would be willing to trade them for several paintings on slate of the old home, to give to her grown children. I said that would be great! Sonny and I went to meet her and get them that weekend. When we arrived, she had stacked over a ton of them neatly in piles, inside the foyer of the house! Beautiful, clean slates! I told her, "I will paint the house from different angles and seasons, so it will be different on each slate-painting. Plus, I always put a Bible Scripture on each painting." She replied that one of her sons didn't really believe in God, and would I leave the Scripture off of his? I knew that if I said, "No", she could easily just tell me the deal was off!  So, of course, I said, "No. I must put the Scripture on it." She replied, "Well, could you at least put the Scripture on the back?" I said, "No. I must put it on the front." She then said, "Oh. OK." Then she helped us load all the slates in our vehicle! Later that summer she called again and offered slates from the old smokehouse on the same property! Hundreds of slates in triangle shapes, as the roof was an "octagon" shape. The slates started off at the top of the smokehouse roof as little triangles. They progressively got bigger to wards the bottom. Very unusual. She helped us load them as well! Thank you Lord!

Each time I've needed more slates, I just tell the Lord. Within three days people come by, or call offering me slates in trade for a slate painting, or two. I figure when the Lord wants me to quit painting on slate, He will stop providing them! The slates I get are old to begin with, usually 100 to 200 years old! They have imperfections, odd shapes, and sizes, that I try and work into the scene for an almost 3-D look. The slates are rather like us! They have their own "personalities" as well. I like to think that I'm taking something that was to be thrown away, that is ugly, scarred, and imperfect, with flaws, and turning it into something beautiful, that can be used by the Lord. To turn it into something people will now love, and cherish! Rather like what Jesus does to us when we accept Him as our Savior! We become a "new creation"!  Sometimes, God also surprises me with a, "secondary  image"on the slate, that emerges as I paint it!  Most of the slates were once shingles on old houses, outbuildings, barns, churches, and even smokehouses! I did get one really large one from Fredricksburg, Virginia, from out of a one-room schoolhouse. It had been a blackboard!  I had to have Sonny cut it into approximately 5"x5" pieces, as the slate was so dense and heavy!

Below: "WHITE MULE" jpg. ; 5 3/8"x6"; A white mule in harness waiting for work. This piece of slate was cut from a blackboard the came from a 100 year old, one-room schoolhouse in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

I also was given a blackboard from an old, local church. I have yet to paint on it, though. I will leave it whole, with the original oak frame and holder made for the  chalk and erasers still on it! (Keep looking at my website as it will surely show up here when it's done! )These slates have been through a lot of history, and weather! Before painting on a slate,  I look through the stacks of slates, and choose one that looks interesting.  I can't start to paint on it yet, though, first, I have to "prepare" it. This takes a little time. When I get my slates, most of the time they are pretty dirty with mud, from laying on the ground a long while after they were taken off of a roof. Or, quite often, tar is on them from when someone coated them when the roof must have leaked. First, I take the garden hose and rinse them off. If there is tar, (yuck!), that requires lots more "elbow grease"! I use mineral spirits and paper towels to take off the tar. If it's on pretty thick, a chisel may be required as well! More mineral spirit washes until the paper towels show...nothing! This can take a while! Then, I take a pallet knife and chip off any loose pieces of slate. I don't want anything falling off after they are painted! It's better if it comes off at this point. Sometimes the slate has moss that has grown on it. If it's attached pretty tightly, I leave it on and use it in the scene! 

Below: "OPEN THE DOOR" jpg. ; 8"x16"; A lamb (Lamb of God) stands at the door (door represents the heart of a person who hasn't yet accepted Christ as their Savior). The Lamb calls to the heart, and the wall starts to crumble as the Holy Spirit (dove), and Jesus (Lamb and True Vine & Fruit of the Vine-grapes and vine), also work on the heart. The flowers in the grass and the wool on the lamb are actually moss that grew on the exposed bottom-half of the slate while it was on a roof!

Usually, at this time, the flaws, if any, will rear their ugly heads!  If there are any major flaws in the slate that might lead to cracking of the whole piece later, I throw it out in the driveway! It might as well be put to good use! I only want the best slates for painting! Then, more mineral spirits to take off the slate dust from all the scraping. Let it dry, and it's ready to paint on! Whew! Now I need a bath!  At this time, I really look closely now at the slate and, "read" it. Kind of like looking at clouds and seeing a "picture" or "shape" in them. The Lord always puts a "picture" in my head of something at this point, or earlier!  I always put something "living" in each scene, as I believe it adds "life"! Sometimes, you have to look for it closely!

 Above: "PURPLES & GOLDS" jpg. ; oil on slate; approximate size 12"x20"; (Other than the flowers, the "living thing" in this scene is the butterfly in the lower left corner).

 Below: "GRACE & LIGHT" jpg. ; oil on slate, approximate size 12"x24" (The "living things" in  this scene are the Bible-"the living word of God"; and the candle flame which represents the Holy Spirit!

He also inspires a Scripture to go with the scene. There seems to be a Scripture for everything! First, I put on a "base coat" of oil paints, which is  what I call a "roughed-in" picture. I let it dry overnight before putting in details. The slate is porous, and the oil paint dries enough overnight that I can paint on it the next day with more details. (It takes longer for oils to dry on canvas.) Since I am able to finish a slate painting quicker than a canvas painting, I don't have to charge as much for one, even though the quality is the same. After the scene is finished, I add the Scripture with a fine, little brush. It's almost done now!When the painting is totally dry,  Sonny coats the entire slate, front and back, with a high-quality polyurethane to seal it for protection. Then, when the polyurethane is dry,  Sonny inserts a heavy-duty leather cord through the "nail" holes on the slate, in order to be able to hang it. The slates all have "nail" holes from being nailed on a roof. Some are in the "right" places for the cords. Some, are not, and  Sonny must drill some new ones in the places I think will work best. But, the other nail holes that arena't used don't really detract from the painting at all. Surprisingly, they really don't show very much at all, and they only add to the total character of the slate.

The slate-paintings should be hung with pride inside your home, just as you would any other work of fine-art on canvas. (They are not  to be confused with the  painted - slate, "welcome signs", that you see for sale at festivals,  outdoor shows, etc. Those are made for hanging outside, as a cute way to welcome folks. They arena't made to last a long time. Over time they will fade and chip from being out in the weather and sun.) You may use the leather thong, that is already strung through the slate, to hang it at once on your wall! Or, some folks like to put their slate-painting on an easel for display. Small easels are available to put on a table, shelf, etc. Others prop the painting on the mantle of a fireplace. If you decide to do that, please first put a strip of non-slip rubber matting underneath it, so it won't slip and fall! A fall can really damage, or totally ruin your slate-painting! Use your imagination on how to display your slate-painting! One man "bolted" his seascape to the inside wall of his fishing boat cabin! You may want to shine a light on your slate, to bring out all the color and textures. A light hung directly over the slate and  pointing down will work fine. (For example: an "art light", made especially for paintings, found at art supply stores.) If you point a light directly at the slate, you will get a "glare" that will distract from the picture.

Below: "ARABIAN" jpg. ; size 8"x12"; Portrait of a chestnut Arabian horse in English Tack.

Do not the hang them in direct sunlight, or any other work of art, for that matter! Sunlight will, over time, fade anything....but us! If your slate-painting should get a bit dusty, wipe it off gently with a slightly dampened sponge or soft cloth. Please remember to periodically check the leather thong for "dry-rot",  if you are using it to hang up your slate-painting. The thong is leather, and leather can, over time, dry out. You may rub a good quality leather oil on it, from time to time. Or, if you've forgotten to check it, and it does dry out, replace it with a good quality, heavy-duty boot lace. You can get different color laces at a  shoe repair shop. If you take just a little proper care of your slate-painting it should last for generations to come! Unlike most works of art, you may "touch" your slate, if you wish! Then you can feel the textures on the surface. Now, please take a look on my web pages,  "Misc. Slate Oils; Catalog" & "Lg. Pics; Misc. Slate Oils", to see an array of my oils on slate! Please enjoy, and God bless. - Jane McCauley

Powered by CityMax.com