This series began as a master study after Van Gogh's Woman in White-a portrait of Gordina de Root, one of his frequent models. She was a farmer's daughter, part of the world he painted again and again and again: people whose lives were marked by labor, dignity, and hardship. 
In re-painting her, I found myself thinking about how women's stories-like the lives of the animals we depend on-are often tied to usefulness, survival, and worth. The sheep and cow just followed naturally in this story telling and curiousity of value.