Woody Jackson

Woody Jackson is a Vermont artist who is best known for his paintings of cows and pastures that appear on Ben & Jerry's ice cream cartons and marketing displays. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1970 and received a masters degree in fine arts from Yale Art School in 1980. Jackson now lives outside of Middlebury, Vermont with his wife and five sons.

Famous for Holstein cow paintings, he is inspired by the barns and hills of Vermont dairylands. Not all of his paintings involve cows, as evidenced by his intensely hued watercolors of churches and landscapes of New Mexico. Woody has also embarked on a new career as a writer, having authored the children's book Counting Cows; and its sequel, "The Cow's Alfalphabet". Woody Jackson's company, Holy Cow, Inc., markets his cow goods worldwide. Artist's Statement:

"All my artwork has always been inspired by the land, from apple orchards, vegetables gardens, New Mexico deserts, dairy farms, and even the New York City waterfront. The land in turn is changed and inspired by time and the seasons. The light is different through the day and month to month.As I write this, it's the first day of summer, and nature is luxuriant with greens and slashes of color of flowers blooming. But it's not just the visual but the sounds and smells of the seasons that propel us forward or back into revery. The lilacs, the peonies and now the roses fill the air, the birds wake us and the wind rushes through the leaves. It's a multimedia symphony of sensations. I love every month and its music. My...... celebrates both from the perspective of the dairy cows of Vermont. They provide us with the beautiful landscapes of our farms and the architecture of our barns, not to mention the rich cream, milk and cheese. The farmers are at the mercy of the weather and the seasons that nature gives us. I hope that nature is bountiful for us all in the coming year, and that your days are full and cherished. May the cows be with you."

During the 2007 French presidential campaign, posters were placed in Parisian Ben & Jerry's scoop shops depicting a Jackson-style black and white Holstein cow wearing a sign saying "Vote For Woody". It was an advertisement for the company's internationally-held "free cone day".