Sharon Yates

We have always believed that farming and making art are parallel, even cojoined, human endeavors. What loops around tends to be inclusive. Gazing over Sharon Yates’ cow paintings makes me feel completely at home and at the same time challenged. They come to us as straight as the front shoulder rise of that seated cud-chewing cow. I found out about her and these fine paintings when she wrote me a letter. Here’s part of it. LRM

Dear Lynn Miller,

I am pleased to tell you how much I have enjoyed learning about your Small Farmer’s Journal. A copy of 49-1 was given to me by my friends Willy Reid and Heather Blackie of Pembroke, ME. “A Cow for Willy” in this issue written by Heather is perfectly wonderful. On their farm I am privileged to do watercolor paintings of the Scottish Highland cattle.

I am writing to you regarding my involvement with farm life. I am a painter never having had the opportunity to actually farm. You can imagine that paintings of cows are not very welcome in the USA contemporary art market, especially today. Consequently, in recent years, I have been quite selective about exhibiting my work. All of my paintings (including other subjects) are painted directly from life; the cows pictures are completed outdoors among the cows — in the fields, the barnyards and the woods.

The oil paintings of cows are from 1992 – present. Since 2023 I have been writing a book about my work on farms that are located close to my home in Washington County, Maine. Hopefully this book, containing many color reproductions, will be out by early spring.

Thank you for taking time to look,
Sharon Yates
321 North Lubec Rd
Lubec, ME 04652