Plain & Fancy

Had to pick up some artwork that was framed by my friend Lesli and I got a closer look at her plain & fancy  (exotic) chickens. She also had day old chicks that will free-range and become their chicken dinners for the next year.

Reading The Bucolic Plague by Josh Kilmer Purcell, one of the Beekman Boys. I can't stop laughing, seriously... I'm not the only one. The NYT reviewer said " “…My Amtrak seat mate in the Quiet Car, a complete stranger, insisted that I read out loud the scene — a goat in labor — that was making me laugh so hard I was crying…Kilmer-Purcell’s book is manically funny, sweetly open and trusting, and slick and snarky. Must be something in the soil.”) They would love Lesli's farm. Lesli would like their farm. Here are "10 Things (Josh) Learned from Goats". My favs, 1,2,4,7, and 10. Hilarious!

The Fiddlin's Fun Festival 10th Anniversary Celebration is this Saturday, June 12 from 12-6pm at the Roberson Museum in Binghamton, NY. The logo of the two birdfolk fiddlin' that Calef Brown did for the festival will be available on t-shirts, posters, and mugs! Must get a t-shirt:).

Later....

IF: Modify (Modified)

I prefer non-GMO - fed chicken. (i.e. (genetically modified organism)
Illustration is a combination of watercolor and digital and is a detail of a larger illo.
The original illustration, done in watercolor, was modified digitally:)

IF: Contained

This is a repost of this illustration...time is short. Straight watercolor in the first one and in the second one I added white acrylic ink.
"Pastured Poultry is raising chickens in a natural grass environment. Chickens are either contained in moveable houses, or are allowed to range freely out of open, mobile coops. These arrangements protect the birds from predators while allowing them to eat grass and bugs. These types of coops are frequently moved to supply a fresh source of forage." (from KD Poultry farm)

More Chickens: Watercolor and Acrylic ink

More chickens. This time I used watercolor for the base painting and after it dried, I used white acrylic ink (FW Daler Rowney Acrylic Artists Ink from Pearl Paint) to bring back the whites. The price is about the same or better at Mister Art.

Illustration Sketchbook: Angry Chickens/Watercolor

Angry chickens. Thought I'd try an illustration inspired by Joe Ciardiello with the background washed in and dramtic lighting. This takes a little more courage and speed. I am struggling ( like the salmon swimming upstream) with assuming a new vegetarian status...it's hard, but really, ultimately,...I think for me, plant-based is the way to go. (Ok, so..I still eat fish, so I don't know what category I am in really) Next in the sketchbook,...maybe...where's the beef? Recommended reading for anyone thinking of switching to a plant-based diet: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II.