Get Along Better with Animals than People?

“Sometimes I feel I get along better with animals than I do with people,” admits artist Jim Klein. Growing up on a family farm outside of a small town in Colorado, Klein spent much of his life surrounded by fields filled with crops and corrals alive with livestock. Living so closely with animals gave him a special respect and connection to them that was eventually expressed in some of his first art pieces.

Klein spent lot of time observing the people around him as well. He describes himself as a fairly sensitive young boy who was quite tuned in to what was happening around him. One of his favorite activities was shadowing his father as he worked with the livestock on their farm. “I especially enjoyed watching him interact with the cattle,” Klein recalls. Every morning and evening he watched as his father sat on a one-legged stool milking the family cow. The pail of fresh milk was brought into the house where his mother would process it for the family. During the day, his father fed the cattle and monitored the beef cattle for sickness, as they were penned in corrals near the house. “I would take note of how he acted with them and how they responded. These were the times I treasured. Me and Dad, just the two of us, side by side, silently working together.”

The farm was close enough to town that Klein could easily ride his bike in and experience “town life.” However, that sometimes presented him with challenges and frustrations. “After a particularly rotten day either being upset at school, forgetting my homework, or not having the courage to sit next to a pretty girl at lunch, my solution was to retreat to the quietness of our land,” he says. If he was feeling particularly down, he took refuge in the peacefulness of the farm, best represented by the animals. “Being around the animals, especially our cattle, always cheered me up. Many an afternoon I would head out to the corral and not only sit with the cattle, but also sing to them,” he says. Singing lifted his spirits and the cows were the perfect audience. “I always had a crowd, and they were never critical if my tone was off or I forgot the words to a song. I could make up lyrics and new melodies. Not once was I ‘MOOED’ off the stage.”

Klein easily recognized the individual personalities and behaviors of the cattle. “One had what I deemed ‘crazy’ eyes and would charge. One would dominate and butt at others when they approached. Others were quite curious and friendly,” he says. “I would relate these traits to kids at school or folks in town that I encountered. This helped me cope with difficult people and difficult times.”

Growing up with these animals, Klein felt very close to them and developed a deep understanding of their spirit. “To this day I enjoy having them as part of my life,” he says. “Capturing animals in my work is a real treat for me. I hope you enjoy them, as well.”