For several months now, I’ve been working on a series of portraits of women farmers. I love it! Agriculture has always been an interest of mine. Combine that with portraiture and a women’s college education, and this is what you get. The farmers are all located in northwest Oregon. Their products range from mushrooms to fruits to goats cheese. These women have been extremely kind, allowing me to visit them and hear their stories while I steal a few pictures to take home and paint. I am interested in learning about how they got started, how their businesses developed over the years, and what obstacles they have come up against as women and as farmers. I have visited 12 farmers on their farms: Jennifer Olsen of The Mushroomery, Julia Sunkler of My Pharm, Alice Fairfield of Fairfield Farm, Lisa and Nancy Hubbe of Sweetwell Farm, Tommie van de Kamp of Queener Fruit Farm, Jan Neilson of Fraga Farm, Luisa Ponzi of Ponzi Vineyards, Karen Finley of Queen Bee Honey Company, Scottie Jones of Leaping Lamb Farm, and Merrilee Buchanan Benson of Tyee Wine Cellars, Hannelore Ondrusek of Price Creek Family Farm, and Andrea Davis of Kings Valley Gardens. You can see some of their portraits below:
Oil on canvas, 2x2
Oil on canvas, 2x2
Oil on canvas, 2x2
The paintings will be on display for about a year after completion of the series. Then paintings will be for sale. In the meantime, please contact me if you would like to buy a print.
Really warm and wonderful work. Thanks so much!
I saw your work in today’s paper and wanted to see more so I looked you up. Wonderful images!
Wow! Nice job, Becca! The portraits are warm, human, and of real people.
Very impressive!
Thank you Gran and Rick!
Becca,
GREAT portraits. What stunning work. You have captured their emotions and the light is fantastic. Keep it up! You are getting better all the time! We love you,
Gran & Rick
Hi Rebecca!
You are hanging your artwork in our Extension Conference Room as I write this and I am so glad Melissa Fery got together with you on this.. your artwork is just absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for warming up our office!
Rachel Snyder, OSU Extension – Benton County
My pleasure! Thanks so much for giving me a space to show my work.
Your love for your subjects shines through in your paintings.
Maybe you should do a series of women chefs??
Intaba
Everyone is saying “warm,” and i do, too. You took photos and made them warm. And energetic. I saw them today at the Extension Office. You seem so comfortable with your oils.
Frances Stilwell
Becca, this is amazing! Here you are, painting and painting, and your work is being displayed in all sorts of places. Congratulations!! I really love this series. It’s very human, and sweet, and you can really see the joy these women get from their work.
I also just love your skill at realism. You’ve captured it all – light, shadow, everything!
Thanks Chai!
We have thoroughly enjoyed “Ladies in the Field” at the OSU Extension Service office in Benton county. In February these beautiful portraits were featured at the Oregon Small Farms Conference where over 750 people viewed these women farmers, some in real-life and on canvas at the same time! Thank you for sharing your work with us.