Meet Carolyn Guske, MOTHER EARTH NEWS heritage farm animal artist.
What are you going to speak about at the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR?
I’m teaching kids to draw heritage farm animals on Saturday 2-2:45 on the Animal Husbandry stage next to my booth.
What are you most looking forward to sharing with FAIR attendees?
How fun it is to capture the personality and charm of an animal with art. Hopefully it will make people more interested in our agricultural heritage and saving these wonderful, beautiful farm animals from extinction.
Tell us about your background with your particular topic.
I’ve been a professional artist in animation for 30 years painting backgrounds for Feature film and TV. 2009 I started painting for myself after a 20 year hiatus, rediscovering watercolor. I found I loved painting farm animals and it turned out the most interesting and beautiful ones seemed to be the ones becoming extinct. I had no idea of this global problem. The ALBC has been kind enough to critic my work (it’s paramount to me that my paintings are as accurate as possible). 2010 I began painting art for MEN and became the MEN official Heritage farm animal illustrator. My goal is to paint all the animals that are on the ALBC list. So far I have painted 12.
Why should fairgoers attend your presentation?
Wouldn’t you like to learn how to draw a farm animal? I will show you how to easily and quickly draw using familiar shapes like circles, squares and triangles to create your favorite farm animals. First I will demonstrate how it’s done then come and help you with your sketch.
What are you most looking forward to at the FAIR?
Finally meeting the MOTHER EARTH NEWS staff I have been working with remotely and Jeannette Beranger of the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
What advice do you have for attendees?
Hope everyone has a fun time and learns something new.
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only one thing, what would you choose?
My husband Robert Amaral.
Thanks, Carolyn. We’ll see you at the FAIR!
Please visit the FAIR website for more information about the Puyallup, Wash. FAIR June 4-5, and upcoming FAIRs in San Rafael, Calif. and Seven Springs, Penn. Tickets are on sale now for all fairs.