AletaPahlNY
From AlexBrownRacing
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Bio
I was born in Waukegan, Illinois in a rural area. It was not a farm but our property bordered a shetland pony farm and much time was spent at the fences watching and feeding the ponies and their foals. In college I became involved in the environmental movement, starting a wildlife society on campus and in turn, meeting alot of key people in the movement. One of the groups was the Clem and Jethro Lecture Foundation that toured the country with live wolves for school presentations. I felt I could do so much more on the road with them, so I left college and joined the road trips traveling from Kansas to Maine, to Washington DC to Toronto to countless school, universities, organizations, summer camps to raise awareness and change the way people thought about wolves. In so doing, we generated thousands of letters to Congress and helped pass the Endangered Species Act. From those travels and connections I had the opportunity to write a childrens book. My talents had been art and writing so this was just the ticket. I went home to write and illustrate "Endangered Predators" published by Doubleday 1976. It was chosen as a "Outstanding Science Trade Book" by the National Science Teachers Association.
Other commissions opened up including limited edition paintings for the Fund for Animals as well as calendars for them. Posters were done for the International Paper Company's campaign to preserve wildlife and habitat. The 6 paintings ironically now included a wild medicine hat mustang. I wish I had a copy..... In 1983 I worked with the Fish and Wildlife for 15 original paintings on endangered fish for a book through Stone Wall Press, "Vanishing Fishes of North America." (Horses are much more fun to do)
More currently I have worked with author, photographer Scott Ian Barry (whose new photo book is "Wolf Empire") on several children's books that would use my gouache watercolor illustrations.
I currently live in Rhinebeck, New York in a historic 1795 house that I wish I could afford to buy, with my 4 cats that I rescued: Phantom, Simon, Grace, and Patricia.
Horse experience
I wish I could say I have shared my life with a horse. I cannot, at least in this lifetime. But the connection is there and as an artist, the beauty is without question. I had the opportunity to meet Hope Ryden years ago. She was one of the first to raise awareness to the plight of our mustangs. Her book, "America's Last Wild Horses" 1970 E.P.Dutton is a classic. So for many years I have been aware of the mustang issues. Belonging to almost all of the wildlife organizations over the years, I have always written letters, etc to help the mustangs, and in more recent years to stop horse slaughter. But it was truly Barbaro that drew me in, back into a personal mission. When I found other Fans of Barbaro, I could not help but relate and know that here was a team effort, reminiscent of the groups during the heyday of the environmental movement. It is a good match and the mission that drives me now.
FOB activities
I have supported as many rescues as I possibly could with donations and recently helped on the rescue thread for the Yahima feedlot horses. In the area of anti-slaughter, I continue to email, fax, write letters, and call the Congress to push for passage of S311/HR501. I am a member of the NY Calling group.
FOB Network
Questions from other FOBs
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