Human
Farm
Alpaca
Art Department Hoodie, 2011 Edition
Wild
bring back the
About the Artist
Paityn is a Canadian artist based out of Alberta. A long-time artist, she has been creating art in some form or another since early childhood. While her art education consists of little more than a few classes in high school, a summer camp, and a college painting class, she is well versed in a variety of mediums.
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In school, her work was supported through a number of art classes that allowed her the chance to learn under the mentorship of the fantastic local artist who taught the program. During her undergrad, she was encouraged to continue pursuing art in new (and admittedly sometimes frustrating) ways.
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As a result, art has in many ways become one of the outlets of her creativity and an excellent form of stress relief. This is also largely why she is very picky about the commissions she will take on.
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Despite her comparatively limited formal fine arts education, especially when stacked up alongside her peers, she has won several awards. Her art has been featured in Parliament, broadcast on national television, and been published across the country in a variety of formats. She was a finalist in the Robert Bateman Get to Know contest, and has commissioned work on display across the world.
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About the Art
Much of her art is grounded in a passion for nature and all that is wild and untouched by humans. She enjoys recreating images of animals and landscapes that are as true to the original individual (or place) as she can manage. The way she sees it, millennia of evolution, adaptation, and a certain degree of happenstance have lead to the development of nature in it’s rawest form as we know it now, creating individuals who are finely honed to fit in their environments and persist above all else, and it is amazing.
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Her passion for nature is met with a passion for myth, legend, the supernatural and cryptozoology. The idea that on the dwindling fringes of society, that there are still unknowns which have fuelled tales for centuries appeals to her, and allows her plenty of room to play with the fantastical. This also allows her the opportunity to test of bright and vivid colours, something which she enjoys wholeheartedly.
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-Aristotle
“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."
About the Farmer
Having been raised on a farm in some way or another for the majority of her life, Paityn grew up in an environment that gave her easy access to a variety of different animals which she thinks is pretty awesome.
She began working with alpacas in 2008. She had the opportunity to learn how to handle and work with these animals for several years, learning from other breeders and farmers, and gaining experience in the industry. Through the wonderful relationships created since entering the "alpaca world", she has been grateful to those friends and family members who have supported this passion and have allowed her to grow as a farmer and breeder.
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An member of the industry, Paityn actively offers her services as an alpaca and llama shearer, mentor, and as of 2018, a director on the Alpaca Canada Board, and in 2019 as Vice President for the Alpaca Livestock Producers and Cooperators Association (A.L.P.A.C.A.) board of directors.
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In light of these changes, she would like to also make a note that the views presented on this website represent neither organization, and are solely her own personal views .
About the Farm
Forget the Paint alpacas is currently a breeding program based out of Edson, Alberta. The animals in the program are boarded at Northern Mystery Alpacas, which is the home-farm where Paityn grew up and currently works in her spare time.
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There are three fundamental goals that inform her and her home farm's decisions as breeders— conformation, fibre, and temperament.
There was, some time ago, an idea to present alpacas as a "huggable investment" . This is an idea that has been appealing, and by selecting animals who have an excellent temperament and higher levels of sociability and resiliency for breeding, it seems feasible. By also selecting animals with excellent fibre traits and strong conformation, the goal is to produce animals that are physically healthy and can enjoy long and healthy lives free from chronic pain; and who can produce fibre that retains it's positive traits with longevity. By selecting for temperament on top of fibre and conformation, the hope is to produce animals who are more resilient and are less likely to be affected by handling related stress (and stress related health problems), as well as animals that are highly tractable
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Although she feels that she is off to a good start, Paityn knows that it will take time to see whether this plan works. She, like her home farm, are supporters of the Canadian alpaca industry, and she works to ensure that not only are all of her animals CLAA and AOA registered, but that breeding decisions are informed by evidence based information.
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The herd at Forget the Paint consists of Bolivian, Chilean and Peruvian lines with no particular emphasis on producing pure Peruvian, Bolivian or Chilean animals. Currently, much of the herd's genetics consist of names such as 4Peruvian Legacy, PC Running Late, Victor's Vaccoyo, Auzengate, Purrembete Ledger's Dream, Peruvian Hemingway, PPeruvian Caligula, and Peruvian Pistachio among others.
