Sheep Farm | Stories Behind the Art
A pause in the moving flock
Late afternoon, dust gold in the light, and a long line of sheep packed along the track through the valley. Out on the right, one sheep has stopped dead in the long grass, head turned to watch the others stream past, as if deciding whether to join them now or in its own good time. Behind it, paddocks roll down to distant water between two ranges, and ferns and spirals arch across the sky. Sheep Farm is big-sky country and one perfectly unhurried pause.
About the artwork
The whole valley is busy. A long line of sheep fills the track through the middle of the scene, hundreds of woolly backs packed shoulder to shoulder beside the fence. In the foreground, two more step out across the grass. On the right, one sheep has stopped entirely. It stands in the long grass with its head turned left, gazing across the scene toward the rest of the flock. Behind them the land opens wide. There are striped, cultivated paddocks, dark rows of trees, a weathered post- and-rail fence and a gabled barn on its rise. Further back, the valley runs down between two steep ranges to a glint of distant water. Above it all, the sky is a show of its own. Clouds pile along the ridgelines, fern fronds arch in from both top corners, and a great spiral turns beside a small pale orb. It’s a working farm on a big-sky day, with everything you’d expect and a touch of wonder overhead.
Key elements of the artwork
The flock. A long, packed line of sheep moving along the track through the valley. The pause. The foreground-right sheep, standing still with its head turned left across the scene. The foreground pair. Two sheep stepping across the grass. The fence and barn. Weathered post-and-rail timber, and a gabled barn on the rise. The valley. Striped paddocks, tree rows and distant water between two ranges. The sky. Clouds, a spiral, a small pale orb and arching fern fronds. The foreground. Long grass, leafy plants and a single flower.
Visual symbolism (our reading)
The still sheep against the moving flock is the soul of this piece. Everything else is motion; this one animal has stopped to look. It turns a landscape into a moment. The flock speaks of rhythm and season: the same work done well, year after year. The ferns and spiral frame the sky as decoration. We read them as the bush meeting the paddock, and we do not assign them customary meaning.
The story behind the artwork
Our artistic interpretation Late afternoon, and in our imagining the flock is being brought in.
You hear them before you see them: a low, rolling chorus of bleats, the soft drum of hundreds of hooves on a dry track, the odd indignant complaint from somewhere in the middle. Dust hangs gold in the slanting light. The air smells of grass and wool and warm earth. Somewhere along the line, out of sight, the work of moving them is getting done. Not everyone is in a hurry. Out on the right, one sheep has stopped dead in the long grass. Head up, ears out, it’s watching the others stream past across the valley, as if weighing up whether to join them now or in its own good time. Every flock has one. Beyond, the valley opens out: paddocks rolling down to the water, ranges standing either side, cloud spilling over the tops. The barn has been there longer than anyone can remember. The fence posts have seen a lot of winters. For a moment the whole busy scene seems to hold its breath around that one still animal. Then, unhurried, it drops its head, takes another mouthful of grass, and the valley carries on.
Sourced background Sheep farming runs deep in this country’s story. Te Ara records that from 1856 to 1987 it was New Zealand’s most important farming industry, and wool was the single most valuable export in most years between 1856 and 1967. The beginnings were slow. James Cook landed sheep on his voyages of 1773 and 1777, but they did not become established. The real foundations were laid in Wairarapa, Canterbury and Otago in the early 1840s. Through the 19th century, large sheep runs dominated much of the South Island, Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay.
References and further reading
Hugh Stringleman and Robert Peden, “Sheep farming”, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand Same story, “Importance of the sheep industry” Same story, “The establishment phase”
Thank-you note
Thank you for choosing Sheep Farm. We hope it brings a bit of big-sky country into your home, and that the sheep on the right goes on taking its own sweet time for years to come.
Maker’s statement
This piece carries the Sheep Farm artwork and was laser engraved by Aroha Artisan. Engraving tone can vary with the material and finish of each product.
Care instructions
This story accompanies the Sheep Farm design across our collection. Materials and finishes differ between products, so please follow the care guidance supplied with your particular piece, including any instructions about cleaning, display or food contact.