My infatuation with sheep began somewhere around high school and continued to grow through my college years. I remember this specific sheep pasture in my hometown of Milton, GA that I’d drive by every day on my way to school. I’d anticipate seeing the sheep every day; especially around the holidays when they wore big red bows around their neck. This particular pasture is set on a small, rolling hillside and is the perfect size for a hand full of sheep to roam happily.
In college I became quite fond of the book of John, chapter 10. Jesus, the archetypal image of Good, refers to himself as a shepherd and people who look to him as his sheep. What a picture! Oh, to be led by Him. To trust Him. To follow Him. To be known by Him. To recognize His voice. The goodness that would ensue for the sheep. The safety. The peace and rest in their spirits to know they’re guided by Him who is GOOD.
I quickly took sheep to be a meaningful symbol to me and I began dreaming of what it would be like to own a few sheep one day myself. I still dream of this and believe it will come to fruition at some point. Evan is on board (hallelujah!) and if my enneagram 7 husband is on board, you better believe one day he is going to help me make it happen!
When Evan and I started praying for and “planning” our family (although I really don’t care for that term when it comes to having children because it makes the process sound like we have much control over it) we bought a cozy lamb lovie to hold onto while praying. That also ended up sparking our baby nursery theme. Little lambies grace our girl’s baby blankie, sheets, and other little pretties in her room.
A few months ago as I began thinking about my next collection I was inspired again driving by the sheep on Providence near where I grew up.
It came upon me to paint a little lamb card and send it to the owners (who I didn’t know at the time) of the Providence sheep pasture to see if they’d be so gracious as to allow me to photograph their sheep. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure I was addressing the card to the right house number. I truly thought the chances of getting a reply, and a positive one at that, would be about 1 in 100. Being able to meet these sheep and their shepherd sounded like such an exciting opportunity that I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
Me feeding some of the sheep in Milton, GA
Of course, in only the way God would have it, the family who owns this land and shepherds these sheep ever so graciously replied within a few days and allowed us to use their land for a photoshoot with the amazingly talented Sarah & Taylor Case. We captured maternity photos, sheep photos, and more. After an hour of taking photos, videos, feeding the sheep (my favorite part), and just watching the sheep in amazement, Tom & Jane invited Evan and I into their home. When I say there aren’t better people to meet in this scenario, I meannnnnnn… This couple is truly the best of the best. Kind, Open, Generous, Loving, Inviting, Wise. Afterwards, while on cloud nine on our car ride home, Evan and I remarked that being with this couple for a few minutes was just like getting together with beloved friends from our own community. It felt like home. The way they treated us and invited us in will never be forgotten. Tom even handed us an old milk bottle from his family’s milk farm in Iowa as a little souvenir. Their thoughtfulness and gentleness was a true grace to Evan and I.
I’m ever thankful for this opportunity to capture such inspiration for this collection of paintings and I still feel like I’m the luckiest girl ever to be able to create this collection. It fills my soul with such joy and giddiness to express myself through The Providence Sheep Collection. I hope that even if my style of art isn’t your style that it’ll bless you too.
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
No one can snatch them away from me.”
John 10: 27 - 28
