Our conference image this year
is an oil painting by Kathleen Frank.
The original painting, Brush Valley Cows, measuring 30” x 30,” has been donated by the artist and will be available for purchase at the fundraising auction during the conference!

Kathleen is a member of the Farmland Preservation Artists, a group of artists that promote the preservation and appreciation of farming and farmland through their work. They will have a show at the conference, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting PASA.

Kathleen shared a story with us on her art career which we’d like to share with you:
“One of my favorite early childhood memories was visiting great Aunt Bunty’s ranch, north of Sacramento, running from her ostriches and climbing the fence to play with her horses. I fell in love with the land. From the age of eight, I subscribed to a Northern California Farm and Real Estate bulletin and pestered my parents with it. Failing a move to a farm, I vowed to someday go the U.C. Davis and marry a farmer. Such ambition. By age 18, practicality got the better of me and I began training to be an art teacher. In the 60s, we were taught all the basics of fine art and techniques to teach everything. We were not trained to Be Artists. That was our job. After teaching K–12 art for several years, and starting a family, I took up woodcarving first and later printmaking. Eventually I rediscovered painting in all it’s simplicity of materials and directness of application. I had returned to the land. Now I paint my three homelands: Pennsylvania, California and my husband’s home, New Mexico, three distinctively different and colorful landscapes. Give me a farm any day.”