"Emmy, The Orange Hen"
Acrylic and collage
5" x 7"
Here it is the 365th face. It has now been one year since I started this face a day business, and I'm back to chickens (a subject I painted and drew in a different life). I love birds faces. They have a lot of expression in those beady eyes. I have had chickens and enjoyed watching them preen and scratch. I used to have a parrot named Sparky who would sit on my shoulder as I worked, until I had my first child (Sparky was put into a large cage,but he hated that child as the baby took the birds place in my arms). Sparky was very entertaining as he would help me with what ever I was doing. If I was sewing, Sparky would pull the pins out-usually before I had sewn that section; when I was painting, Sparky would grab the end of my brush with his beak in order to chew on it. That made for some very interesting strokes. When I admonished Sparky for his very busy beak, he would roll his eyes around as if to say, "What? I'm just trying to help." sparky was a great friend and it will always sadden me to think of his untimely death. He nibbled on a houseplant that was deadly to him (be warned all bird lovers). It was so tragic. He truly was a great bird. But, I warn you about parrots; they are extremely social and demand a lot of attention. The bigger the bird the bigger the mess and the bite (they need to chew). When I am older and without young children to tend to I may consider another bird.
