farm life in technicolor
Art on the Farm:
When I tell people I live on a micro-farm, their responses vary. I usually get something along the lines of you don't strike me as the farming type. Farm-related art typically has a rustic feel-- muted colors, weathered textures, etc. Raising chickens makes many people think of their grandmothers or "the olden days." I think they're surprised that I'm not in a prairie dress or something.
The farming and homesteading communities, like most interest groups these days, are diverse in nature and cannot be whittled down into a "type." But there are a variety of people who are more like me than like your grandmother. There has been a renaissance of the homesteading lifestyle, even before the pandemic. Art about farm life, however, hasn't quite begun to reflect these changes.
Common themes:
My recent body of work, Farm Life in Technicolor, shines a light on this vibrant community and the many colorful aspects of everyday chores on the farm. From the foliage to the fruits to the feathers, everything around me is colorful and bright. The sunrises and sunsets change with the seasons, so I never have a dull moment.
No matter the subject, I want my paintings to be as colorful as the eggs that I collect each day.
Which Came First
(6x6" watercolor on paper)
Community is key:
Where there is birdseed, there are squirrels. This set of sneaky squirrels was a commission for a fellow micro-farmer in the area. Raising animals and growing food has given me a bridge to create a community in a time when I felt that I had no one. This has been such a revolutionary experience in my life, and documenting it for myself and others brings me immense joy.
(Each of these squirrel portraits:
5x7" watercolors on paper - SOLD)