Patchwork of Farmers

Illustration © D. Yael Bernhard

This illustration was commissioned in 2005 by an international agricultural consortium titled Generation Challenge, whose mission was to collect data and conduct research to improve farming practices in developing countries. GC licensed and commissioned several illustrations for their glossy brochure. The image shown here was on the cover – a patchwork of farmers and farming scenes from several continents. I can’t remember which specific countries I was told to represent, but I see hints of Indonesia, Brazil, India, Mexico, and perhaps someplace on the Balkan peninsula.

I was asked to imitate the style of my illustration “One Great Hour of Sharing.” That was fine with me – when a client knows what they want, that means less guesswork for me. Yams, sorghum, beans, and corn were the featured crops in these multi-colored, multi-ethnic vignettes. I used diagonal lines, gently curved to create a sort of geometric architecture of the figures and spaces between them. What fun! This was one of those assignments where I felt like I was being paid to play. At the same time, I was working under deadline pressure and had to include specific details which were to some degree biologically accurate.

People wear bright colors in the countries represented here, so I chose a bright and festive palette. As if designing a quilt, I tried to distribute the colors evenly. The violet patches, for example, are in three corners of the image and one central field. The dark brown hues are spread out evenly, as are the lighter greens, deep blues, and bright yellows. Many of the small fields of color also received a second color which blends in partially to form a gradient. Many edges received halos of white. Slowly, slowly, I brought all the colors and shapes into a harmonious relationship.

I’d like to contribute my art to support healthy farming practices here in this country: regenerative farming, silvo pasture, adaptive grazing, and the like. This was on my mind this week as I planted the first seeds in my own little vegetable garden: two kinds of kale, two colors of beets, and some lettuce. Baby leaves are pushing up through the earth in my herb garden, too: motherwort, comfrey, nettles, violet, and lemon balm. The sight of them is so heartening, it’s enough to inspire another painting.

A good week to all!

D Yael Bernhard

http://dyaelbernhard.com

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