Chicken Licken

Thursday rolls around again and it's time to tackle a subject that I have found difficult in the past.

Easter weekend is fast approaching and everything needs doing, this lovely Spring light shows up all the dust in my old cottage, I find it best to escape to my little studio and paint instead.

We managed a lovely outing on Saturday to a nearby National Trust property, that I know has lovely Spring gardens, Knightshayes.

The sun was shining and it was great to see everybody out and about .

We are still keeping safe and trying to avoid crowded spaces , but out in the fresh air, with others is a real tonic

We wandered around and felt the sun on our backs getting warmer, we even treated ourselves to a coffee and a cake on the terrace

 

With views everywhere and lots of flowers for future inspiration, it was heaven

The weather this week hasn't been as sunny as planned, but I thought those photos were too good not to share.

 

Now onto my chicken painting 

Hi I don't paint many chickens, so I thought it was time to give this a go.

Firstly I sketched out my chicken.

Then the eye.

Then the chicken feet.

Next to concentrate on the cone and the jowls around the face. Under painted in Indian yellow, with cadmium red on top. 

Now his open beak and the top of his head.

Finally I get to the real reason for this blog, to try and paint the rest of the chicken fast and loose. Be bold, big brush, lots of water, and throw on the colour.

I also added some salt, to see what happened.

I want there to be lots of gestural mark making. Let everything dry 

and go in again....

I used a palette knife for the tail feathers.

I let drips drip down, let things happen, and hope for the best, try not to be too precise.

And voila my chicken is finished.