An artist inspired by her late husband’s compassionate care of dairy and beef cattle is helping less fortunate farm animals.
Pamela Barnard’s husband Eldred had managed a dairy herd and then a beef herd, living near Hungerford and later in the Surrey hills.
“A retiring large animal vet said my husband was the best stockman he had ever met because he cared passionately about every animal he looked after,” said Pamela, 80, a retired teacher of Hurst.
“I remember my husband getting up four times in the night because a calf had pneumonia. He farmed totally compassionately.
“And the farms were still making plenty of money. Because he cared so much for the animals they didn’t need a vet’s care so often.”
Eldred died three years ago, a year after the couple moved to Hurst.
Pamela is staging an exhibition of about 60 of her paintings at the St Nicholas Church Room, opposite The Castle Inn in Church Hill, Hurst on Sunday, July 23, from 1-5pm.
“They will be unmounted and unframed, with no price tags. If someone sees a picture they like they can take it home for no charge. I will though be inviting donations to the charity, Compassion in World Farming.
“The charity tries to stop things like sows being kept in crates. They want to make sure farmed animals have enough light and space and are treated well,” said Pamela.
Pamela’s paintings include farm animals including Beano, a bull she knows in Surrey. She likes pigs which “have such characters”.
They feature in several paintings along with goats, sheep, chickens and a cock.
There are pictures of country scenes and also flowers, including a large close-up of a segment of honeysuckle. Two Japanese-style pictures have a striking simplicity. Some of the pictures would appeal to children.
Pamela discovered her love and talent for drawing when she was ill for long periods as a child.
“I had double pneumonia, bronchitis and TB. In those days children with illnesses like that were expected to stay in bed to recover.
“I found that drawing and reading were the only games that never finished. In 2014 I started painting and found I loved it. When I moved here I joined Ursula Sykes’ art group at Littlewick Green.”
