Food for Thought

I've just heard - through FACE - about an artist who is travelling across Britain and painting farms as she goes. Her project, called Great British Farming, is being funded by Arts Council England

Georgina Barney, who was awarded a 1st class honours degree from Ruskin School of Fine Art at Oxford University, has spent the first half of the year travelling from farm to farm in order gather material for her portfolio.

"One of the reasons I started this project was that I saw a connection between art and farming," she said.

"It doesn't seem obvious at first but I've felt it to be confirmed by my experiences as well as by the fact that I've met a surprising number of artists from farming families.

"Farming can be stereotyped as a very hands on, physical and matter of fact profession while artists are thought of as contemplative and sensitive.

"But much of what farmers do is both scientific and creative - there's a lot of problem solving and entrepreneurship not unlike the work of an artist. Both farming and art demand independence, strong self motivation and bloody mindedness."

To read about Georgina's travels take a look at her Great British Farming Blog.