An Uncommon Beauty: cattle painting

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August 8, 2012

"Learnin' the Ropes" by Vicki Shuck

12"x16", Oil on Panel

contact Vicki Shuck for purchase information

Over in eastern Oregon, near Diamond, where a medium size ranch is in the thousands of acres, children of the ranchers were getting a chance to practice roping and branding the calves. On farms and ranches, kids start early in taking part in the work needing to be done. What an office!

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THE PROJECT IN A NUTSHELL by Vicki Shuck

The seed for this project was planted in 2001 after the water crisis began in earnest in the Klamath Basin. Suddenly seeing how a way of life (rural, agricultural) was on such a precarious ledge, I began thinking that I wanted to somehow document the place I grew up in and valued so much. As an artist, my natural way to do this is through creating images; I particularly love to paint and draw people. Enter an artist/friend, Janice Druian, who is enamored with painting the High Desert Landscape suggesting she paint the land associated with the people. With that, the project has begun to become a reality. We are celebrating our first exhibit of the work coming up in April 2012 and are excited about how it will evolve after that.

Vicki Shuck's Statement about the Project

My goal with this project is to honestly paint life as it is and to be true to the lives of the people who have agreed to let me paint them. I am continually amazed and gratified at the generosity of the people I have talked to for this project and their desire to let their stories and concerns be known by others. Whether the people are working in agriculture of some sort or not, their lives are directly affected by it. And with that, also directly affected is the very existence of the community. Growing up on a farm near Merrill, a small town in southern Oregon, and then living in more "urban" areas during my adult life, I have grown to appreciate how small towns and rural areas embody the meaning of "community". I believe that the health of these areas is integral to the overall health of our state, our nation and our world. It is in that spirit that I celebrate these people, the work they do and the way their lives are interwoven with each other's and the land in which they live.

Janice Druian's Statement about the Project

My goal is to explore and better understand the west, specifically the Oregon farm and ranch lands that are east of the Cascade Mountains--the dry side. I feel incredibly fortunate to live on a cliff overlooking the Deschutes River outside of Terrebonne, Oregon. From most of my windows you have a view of either the Cascades, Mt. Hood, Smith Rock or the Ochoco Mountains to the east. It is this view that nourishes my soul. But I like painting beyond my immediate horizons. Over the years I have developed a passion for the really remote areas of Oregon. It is those locations that inspire me. The opportunity to accompany Vicki as we get to know the people who live and earn their livings on this beautiful and remote land has been extraordinary. I want this project to go on for a long time.

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August 8, 2012

"Learnin' the Ropes" by Vicki Shuck