Painting chickens = herding cats

Meanwhile, back at the chicken coop… last Thursday I once again carted my artsy crap down to the coop by the creek, this time to try a chicken portrait. These girls and me, we're on friendly terms now, so why not up the ante? Ha! 


First of all, let me just say…chickens are not posers. In any sense of the word. 


And, also, they do not hold still. Not for a minute, or 5 seconds. And they really have no specific, discernible shape. You might THINK you know a chicken shape but, trust me, no. Because they have many, many shapes. Sometimes they have a neck. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes their butt is up in the air and sometimes it's on the dirt.

I guess this is what makes chickens so adorable and such an artist magnet, but it would help so much if they would just hold still. For a hot minute…please.

I feel certain that I detected the scent of pity from Judy (said chicken owner) when she saw my truly pitiful chicken scratches, er, sketches. I always precede the viewings of my plein air paintings with the phrase, "take a few steps back; it will look a lot better than close up", but this time there just wasn't enough distance that would improve the view. Hahaha!! I have long since learned humility/humiliation, so it's ok. I embrace the learning curve!