Peeps!

Emily my broody Silkie

So for approximately three weeks now my Silkie hen "Emily" has been sitting ever so carefully and gently on her poo just waiting for the nuggets to hatch. She didn't eat. She didn't seem to be drinking. All she could think about was hatching those nuggets. Of course, they weren't nuggets to her they were fertilized eggs. She was in full fledged "mama mode".

So when the opportunity came up to obtain two Bantam chicks I took it. I replaced her precious nuggets with two sweet peeping chicks at night and both mamma and babies are happy. Emily seems to be a very careful and loving mamma. She seems to be tolerant of them jumping all over her too. Its been sheer bliss to watch this beautiful interaction of nature. Drawings to come soon, but for right now I'm enjoying this in "real time" without any distractions or thoughts in mind. Its been extremely therapeutic and lovely.

Hop on mom!

Peek-a-boo!

"Paper Trail II"
Decoupage, Graphite, Watercolor, and acrylics on archival bristol
(Im for sale! Email: jenndanza@gmail.com)

"Paper Trail III"
Decoupage,Graphite, Watercolor, and acrylics on archival bristol
(Im for sale! Email: jenndanza@gmail.com)

Detail on illustration reveals....yep, a heart!
Graphite, Watercolor, and acrylics on archival bristol

All Bets Are Off

The mountain against the color
of the sky is enticing me.

All bets are off for serious office/studio work once it snows! I love the snow. I love to watch it snow, I love to paint the snow and I love to watch the colors of a snowy day change from hour to hour. I have literally been sitting at my office window today doing just that...watching the colors change from hour to hour.

One of my favorite colors in the whole world is blue/grey. There is something so enticing to me about that color. On a snowy day this color makes it's appearance all over the place. It appears on the trees, the ground, the sky, the snow and just about everywhere there is surface.

There are only a few more hours left of daylight. I have decided to just enjoy the changing colors as it has been a lovely treat and feast for my eyes today. Work will always be there and I can work once it gets dark.

My hens popping out
into the snow for treats.

A week's worth. There's no stopping.
I'm on a major creative roll and greatly inspired.

"Snow Day"
Graphite and watercolor on archival bristol

"Nature chose for a tool, not the earthquake or lightening to rend and split asunder, not the stormy torrent or eroding rain, but the tender snow flowers noiselessly falling through unnumbered centuries." ~John Muir

After the Vacation: Work

My father laying in
hex wire in the coop.

Back to work...or at least I say it's work but it's not really work cause I do enjoy what I do. It's rarely a chore. It's rarely "work" and the best part is I get to work at home. Of course working from home has it's drawbacks. There are always many interruptions during the day. Some good, some not so good. I had been waiting a couple of weeks to build the chicken coop with my father. My poor girls were hanging out in the 2 car garage I own. It wasn't a bad accommodation, but it certainly wasn't the best. So when dad came over with tools in hand I dropped studio work to help.

I have to say it was very interesting to watch every part being built. I loved watching him work too. He was so careful with every part making sure it was square and perfect. In the process of all this cutting and building I began to have ideas about the discarded wood from the project. The wood was nicely weathered and I could picture something to hang. Here is what transpired from that vision. Fun...nothing serious.

Inspired by cut pieces
of weathered wood

Hen painted on with acrylics

Topped off with a bow
ready to hang

The coop took about a day to build and once finished one chicken loved it the other hated it. So I guess you can't please everyone all the time, even hens. Studio work resumed and I'm happy to say I made lovely progress on a wild patterned Working Girl resin. In general dry pigments, acrylics, and oils are placed on the piece first. Then the white pattern is layered on with acrylics. It will take approx 20 or more layers of white to get this pattern perfect. I'm about half way there at this stage.


Reference used for the pattern
on Working Girl

Color blocked in

After many layers
of white

Well...about those eggs

Duck

Duck

GOOOOOSE!

WEll....
I can't even begin to express my disappointment in discovering that "Penny" my *cough* hen wasn't developing more rapidly because of grabbing more of the treats. No. She *cough* was developing her comb and waddles so fast cause she's a HE!

I'm now down to 3 egg laying hens and have found myself in one hell of a pickle. No one anywhere wants a rooster and I really didn't sign up for this. I was guaranteed all hens from the company. They apologized and offered me a free chick next time I place an order with them, but in all honesty, I can't order from them again. I know nothing about sexing chicks but others I know who have had day olds never had this "sexing" problem from their suppliers.

I'm sure there is a lesson wrapped up in here somewhere. I can't help but feel like I'm really missing it and I also can't help but feel like I've wasted ALOT of time here. I'm frustrated. Hopefully "Pennington" (thanks Karen!) will be able to find a fine home other than in our tummies.

Recovery....Slow

Morgan Mare in buckskin

Recovery from the horse show has been slow and dare I say, difficult. I feel like ever since I came back from PA my feet, hands and head have been stuck in mud....and not the "turnin on a wheel kind" of mud either. LOL

This week I made a serious effort to settle down into my studio and work hard on tidying up any loose ends and prepare for my church Christmas Fair. There were several distractions including meetings at church, phone calls and a disaster of a house to clean. Oh, and the worst distraction of all.....finding the chicken coop missing yet another chicken and feathers everywhere. Not difficult to put two and two together and come up with an answer on that one.

Needless to say, I went into a real funk over loosing a chicken to (most likely) a stray, mangy cat. Yes, I said mangy. I like little cute beady eyed critters and I love wild birds so naturally my affections for cats are (sorry cat folk) very small since they like to gnaw on cute beady eyed critters and birds. I grew up with cats and that was fine, but they were always breaking things. Our cat Cricket loved to break porcelain. Every chance she got she would break it. We decided to hide all of it after she broke a 100 year old basin.

"Chicken"

Despite the sad setback I still have four lovely hens who have all grown very fond of me and affectionately sit on my lap anytime I go into the garden when they are free ranging. They have grown used to our Collie being out. She patrols the yard and is getting fat with all the treats I have been giving her for her good work. I never thought I'd gather such joy from a chicken, but alas they have inspired me in new and exciting ways and have brought such a sense of calm and peace to my daily life. I have become very protective of them and hope to sculpt something "hen-like" in the new year. That is, after I have completed all the lingering 2009 projects.

Cheeping Box

Awww....so sweet!

The workers in our local post office never smile. They can be down right mean if they want to be, especially if your box isn't prepped properly and they aren't feelin' in the mood to deal with it or you. You know you're in the city then. Today however, I got the pleasure of watching every single one of those attendants smiling with joy as my peeping little box was carried from the back of the station to the front window. My attendant had the biggest smile on his face as the box cheeped and peeped away with my new babies inside.

We now have pet chickens. Adorable. Sweet. Cheeping away happily at life pets. Nothing like a wonderful pet (or houseful of them) to make your day and keep you happy and healthy!

Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!

Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!

Hmmm....is it wrong that I am topping off a great day with yummy Cornish Game hens for dinner? LOL