Sheep Art – is this the next craze to grip the nation?

How to create art with sheep (credit: @lucycoleman03 Instagram)

For many Kiwis, lockdown provided a chance to practise a new skill. However, for Kiwi sheep farmer Garth Coleman and his daughter Lucy Coleman, they took a newly acquired skill one step further by creating remarkable images out of the sheep they care for.

Armed with a camera, a quad bike, feed and of course some good ol’ Kiwi ingenuity, Garth and Lucy turn the mundane into the magical. By strategically placing feed on the ground, they create striking depictions as their sheep happily munch away.

Lucy, who is currently completing her PhD in animal science, said the idea came as result of the drought many farmers have had to contend with over the recent summer.

“As a result of the lack of grass due to the drought, we’ve had to put our animals on supplementary feed to ensure they are healthy and happy. One day I was out on the farm and saw Dad had ‘drawn’ the word ‘Hi’ into the side of the hill and it all went from there really. There is no doubt the last few months have been challenging but you get through it all with a bit of fun like this, giving people something to smile about.”

In celebration of National Lamb Day on 24 May, Beef + Lamb New Zealand are calling out other farmers to get in on the fun and create their own ‘sheep art’. Can you – the great sheep farmers of New Zealand – create anything to match Lucy’s masterpiece?

Please feel free to download the videos of Lucy’s ‘sheep art’ here. Please credit Instagram: @lucycoleman03

For more information about National Lamb Day click here.