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The Traveling Chicken, affectionately known as Miss Chicken or TC, visited my studio for 2 weeks. She is a wee one, but loaded with possibility! Deciding on just what to do with this ceramic chicken was a conundrum. She was smaller and frankly, less interesting than I had imagined her to be. Also, I thought Miss chick should be sitting amidst a flower or two - to 'go' with my current florals. Ultimately, I decided to just have fun with it. Because of her size, I pictured her amidst the many 'set-ups' my two sons create with their star wars figures, superheroes, legos, etc. I basically let the boys play with her (on a cushy carpeted floor to avoid any mishaps), while I tried to capture an inspiring photo to paint from. The boys had a great time including her in many different scenarios. Some tension arose and we had to take turns (myself included) because we all had our own ideas for the little ceramic chicken! Because we were indoors and we were 'playing' right before bedtime (dark outside), it was hard to get good photos. My 9 year old found a small, but glaring, flashlight that we tried to use as a spotlight. Here are some of the better shots. The next morning, I brought her downstairs - and saw our chess set on the coffee table. Perfect! Miss Chicken gets to be the queen, good lighting was coming in from a nearby window, there were interesting textures and possibilities for a captivating composition.  Miss Chicken - Queen for the Day, 4x6in., oil on gessoboard, $50. Yep - but that little 4x6 inch composition was not so simple (surprise, surprise). For a while, Miss Chicken got lost (literally) in the game. Making the onyx chess pieces 'make sense' was a challenge. I pushed and pulled values for hours. BUT working with a different subject, blending and mixing and layering the oil paint, arranging (and rearranging) the composition - all were valuable and just plain fun. Before she left for Pamela Sweet's studio in Florida, I took some photos of Miss Chicken with her new friends. To read about Miss Chick in more of a story form, visit my post on The Traveling Chicken blog.
9 Comments
3/7/2013 04:33:18 am
Wow! You really had fun photographing Miss Chicken with all the toys. Love them! She looks great on the chess board wearing the crown! Great painting! 3/7/2013 06:41:24 am
What a wonderful story teller and what a great adventure Little Miss Chicken had in Chicago!! Great job Dawn! Thanks for being part of Miss Chicken's story!! 3/8/2013 09:49:36 am
Dawn, The Traveling Chicken (TC) and her family have arrived safe and sound in Florida. She took a few naps today on our travels. I think she was tired from playing with you and your sons and her trip with USPS. 5/27/2013 11:04:23 am
I had to laugh out loud. I could just see all of you playing with that cute little chick. Love your paintings and your website. Happy painting Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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Dawn Eaton
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