True stories of a small flock of remarkable individuals -- and other critters.



Sunday, January 15, 2012

ART LESSON

Here's some of the art that was on display at the Northeast Poultry Congress in Springfield MA USA.
 I don't recall the titles,
but the artist is Mother Nature.
Her work was elegant, 




solid, 


delicate, 

sweet.

 That sweet one really took my breath away.
   
I visited her a few times during the day and did some sketches to get to know her better.




 How did Mother Nature come up with these designs?  

And what is it like to wake up every morning in this outfit?

This fella is proudly owned by a sweet little girl.
I hope he didn't hear people calling him "Devil Boy".  

This lady scratched in the sawdust as gracefully as a ballerina.
To look at her, one can easily make the link between chicken and dinosaur.
Were dinosaurs graceful?

 And did their souls shine this brightly in their eyes?


This cochin hen was just one voluptuous butt with a head on top.  
She seemed to have a healthy self-image.  Good girl.



Now here's an example of form and pattern explosively combined.

and lovely eyes as punctuation.

I studied eyes.


Could she see me?



Yes, there is a chicken in there.



This prizewinner's eyes have "happy" and "healthy" written all over them.




 All through the day, chickens glanced upward.  I couldn't figure out what they were looking at.  Perhaps the fluorescent lights were flickering? 
  
Eventually I saw what they saw... Sparrows flitting around high up in the rafters of the arena.  All of the chickens were aware of them; most of us humans were not.



As the day drew to a close, some birds settled right down.  


But others...... 
well, turn up your sound for this little video clip.

28 comments:

  1. Holy crow! That's a lot of beautiful chickens!

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  2. Thanks for reminding me how beautiful the things around us can be... what is the saying... hidden right before our eyes.

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  3. Wow! Now that we know this goes on right at the Big E, we'll try to make it next year. Great pictures, Lauren!

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  4. Aren't they sweet? I love the Polish ones with the fluffy feathers all over their heads! I want some! LOL

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  5. Laur:

    This a WOW! Truly extraordinary.

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  6. Such beautiful pictures. Such beautiful words to describe them. I like looking at the world of chickens. It's even prettier through your eyes and words.

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  7. You captured the spirit, Lauren! I, too, too photos of feather patterns. I didn't see those sparrow, though. Bravo to you for looking where the chickens looked.

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  8. Fantastic post and pics! Thanks for sharing with those of us who couldn't be there. You seem to get right into the chickens' heads and then share that insight so beautifully!

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  9. I loved the "devil" chickens and took lots of pics of them too. Somany beautiful birds! You caught them very nicely.

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  10. Oh my goodness--just gorgeous! I can't wait to show your post to my chicken-mama daughter--she will love it! Your sketches were just lovely, too. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  11. What a great post. They are all gorgeous of course. I would have any one of them. Maybe next year if I have a small flock of my own, I will attend also.

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  12. Like Basic Living I love seeing chickens "through your eyes and words." Your endearing drawings, too.

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  13. I loved this post! They really are beautiful, aren't they? The first pattern on top is "silver laced" and the last is "partridge". The middle is probably a "blue laced red". So beautiful!

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  14. Beautiful photographs Lauren, thanks for sharing. My chickens love sharing the garden with sparrows, they don't like the blackbirds, the magpies or the pigeons but they like the sparrows :)

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  15. Hey! I'm passing on the 7x7 Link Award because I enjoy reading your blog! Link to the award here: http://jojo54.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/7-x-7-link-award/ Til later, Joan

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  16. Isn't it wonderful to have beautiful images like this in your backyard to admire every day?

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  17. Wonderful!! So gorgeous and adorable.

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  18. Humor and beauty and insight, oh my! Love, love, love.

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  19. This is my first visit and all I can say is WOW. Loved this post and really admired you talent and creativity.

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  20. I adore this blog! So happy to have found it and I sat down this weekend and basically read from the start to your most recent post. I have been so inspired by other urban chicken bloggers that I decided to start my own as I begin the process of owning chickens this spring. Hope you don't mind me sharing the address here: chickensonthelawn.wordpress.com.
    I think my photos will be far less gorgeous than yours and I certainly am not an artist, but I suppose there is always room for improvement with my photography skills at least. : )

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  21. Just found your blog - love the chicken pics, your art and humour!

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  22. I've just discovered your blog and I love it! I have four chickens--an ameraucana, australorp, wyandotte and plymouth rock. I love my sweet flock, and I love reading what a kindred spirit sees in them too:)

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  23. Wonderful to see you Lauren! LOVE this blog post. :) :)

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  24. Your art and theirs is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing!

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