creative conscious. As my art evolved, I found that a large portion of the sketches of future pictures I wanted to create were still lifes, using items that meant the world and a half to me. Simple items like honey jars took on the role of femininity itself, and milk jars represented a bounty from hard work and vigilance through days of rain and drought. More than myself, the few captures I took of any facet of me became more of a character or exaggerated quality of my nature. In the most recent series I created, the portraits of myself represented a girl whom had turned into an Orchard with the quickness of Dianna of the hunt, instead of the real life girl with messy blond braids and a nest in the back of her hair. But yes, I do enjoy still lifes more than portraits. I can’t help but look onto a pasture or a cottage as a still life of that as each particular season’s creation. Tell us about Early Bird Acres, and how you became involved with it. I feel as if I should begin by saying, “Once upon a time, there was a girl…”… ha-ha…. First of all, Early Bird Acres is a magical place where I create art and raise animals. Some for meat, some for milk, and some for wool. I became involved with Early Bird Acres, I believe, since the day I was plucked from the earth like some wildflower. My Great Grandparents once owned this farm. They are Dutch German and were born in the old country, to only come over on boats when very little. I was told stories about my Great Grandmother Annie while growing up, and imagined her sweet smile and rounded cheeks, that I too possess, looking back at me from across the pasture, while she wears her many pastoral dresses. I knew I wanted to live in the country, but had no idea I would be living in the house I grew up as knowing to be vacant and haunted by farming spirits and meadow sprites. Honestly, on a particular visit to my grandparents’ farm, I was contemplating moving out of state since I was asked to join a farming community in Ohio, and dreaded the idea of leaving the great plains of Oklahoma. I stepped outside to the side yard of their house, and peered across the pasture at the tanned and forgotten little house, littered in old metal and new tractors that shined green amongst the aged and overgrown. I all at once imagined the farm as it used to be. My Great Grandmother in the yard taking care of her Acre of flowers in the front, quiet and cooing chickens scattered amongst the grass, the house all shining in a fresh coat of white wash, slick cows mooing in the east pasture, heavy harvests growing to the west, my great grandfather walking up from
the north barn with a rope in his hand, trestled to a pig or young calf, a Dutch apple or cherry pie quietly cooling upon the kitchen sill…witnessing an array of colorful farmers whom were willing to work till they ached in order for the homestead to thrive. THIS is where I wanted to invest my time and effort; THIS was my wholehearted vision for integrating my pastoral art sense and the creativity of farming. Within a week, I was moving my whole life out to Hobart, America. I raise many animals. I have chickens (for eggs and meat), ducks (for eggs and meat), pigs (for cuddling and meat), cows (for milk and meat), sheep (for wool) and, of course, a large garden to compliment it all. I have converted an old granary into a guest cottage and have done lots of improvement to the actual house and many barns on the homestead. I like to think my Great Grandmother Annie would be proud of me. I do have plans to eventually put in a flower garden, just as she had. My family often spoke of this home being haunted, and honestly I do not mind if it is. In fact, the family often remarks of me as being possessed by my Great Grandmother Annie. I like to create pie recopies and crust creations that just happen to taste like and appear to look like her kitchen creations. They ask me if I found some hidden recipe card somehow lost in an old drawer or found in a box. I look back baffled and speak to them in Dutch German and turn back towards my farm work in my pastoral dresses. So, do you shoot all of your pieces at Early Bird Acres? About 90% of my captures are taken here. I do not have the luxury of having an apple orchard nor an ocean, so Oregon is also a popular spot for my captures. What does an average day look like for you on the farm? Every morn I usually wake up at 4:30. Even before I go pee or put on clothes, I run to the coffee maker and start the lovely thing up. While it is brewing, I choose a dress, braid back my hair or twist the nest into some creation & then I am off to the kitchen to boil some water for the bottle babies’ milk (right now, I have bottle baby sheep). By 5, I am walking towards the south barn to milk my cow Ohio. I named her Ohio because I really like this brand of ice cream from there, called Jennies Ice Cream. With full pail in hand, I mosey my way back towards the house & filter the milk through cheese cloth to make sure there is no stray pieces of grass