I lament the loss of old New England. Much of the farming landscape, along with the homesteads and barns, the stone walls, the old fruit orchards, and the lifestyle, has gone the way of the past. We had the good fortune a number of years ago to buy a small 1896 farmhouse that had been updated. The barn was long gone and the woodland and fields sold off to developers for modern cookie-cutter living abodes. We found out from a local old-timer that we had purchased the original "Jones sheepfarm".
Once upon a time when I was much younger, I had wanted to have a self-sufficient farmstead. In my older age with occasional aches and pains, I surmise that due to the prolonged and extensive manual labor required for a successful farming enterprise, I would only be able to sustain a farm in my dreams...and I now encourage only the fantasy role of being a gentleman farmer...essentially limited to pointing my finger and getting someone else to do the actual work. Regular yardwork, remodeling, and personal landscaping has become my limit. And as hard as it is, it's so much easier to paint! The paint is still wet on this one.
Once upon a time when I was much younger, I had wanted to have a self-sufficient farmstead. In my older age with occasional aches and pains, I surmise that due to the prolonged and extensive manual labor required for a successful farming enterprise, I would only be able to sustain a farm in my dreams...and I now encourage only the fantasy role of being a gentleman farmer...essentially limited to pointing my finger and getting someone else to do the actual work. Regular yardwork, remodeling, and personal landscaping has become my limit. And as hard as it is, it's so much easier to paint! The paint is still wet on this one.
Original Art: Newborn Lamb - Copyright James E. Martin 2012
Springtime is a'coming. Because of my longstanding interest in the subject matter, I might expect rural and farming content to be part of my artistic genre in the future.
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