I never had the slightest desire to paint a rooster. Then one day I was standing in my friend’s greenhouse that is dug part way into the ground. At eye level I saw a grand rooster walk up to the window, the setting sun behind him illuminating his comb and wattles.
I gasped and knew I had to paint some roosters.
Fortunately for me, my friend has a flock of about 200 chickens with several different kinds of roosters to guard them as they forage. I happily hang out with them and have been doing rooster paintings as a result.
The first one is Mardi Gras Rooster, 40” x 40” acrylic on canvas. I am showing you a detail below so you can see that I have gotten a bit wild with the colors.
The next rooster is Bird of Fire 32” x 36” acrylic on canvas. He has a fabulous folded comb. And, I might add, a quite determined manner about him. Some people find him intimidating but others choose him as their favorite.
The final rooster is Blue Lightning Bird, a smaller acrylic painting on a 18” x 24” canvas. He is quite the dandy.
Since everyone is used to me painting large dramatic flowers, after we put Mardi Gras Rooster in the front window of the gallery, people started coming inside and asking me, “What’s up with the roosters?!?” But they are delighted, so all is well.
Art, like anything else, evolves with experience. All winter I knew a new look was incubating as I worked on a myriad of computer projects without painting. Sometimes we have to pause to allow something new in our lives to birth.
I have quite enjoyed the process of discovering what was brewing all that time. As in any new birth, there have been some pangs in the process, but this one has been fairly graceful. Having experienced a lot of turbulent growth in the past, I quite appreciate the manner of these paintings emerging.
Now I have begun my iris painting I mentioned in an earlier post. It, too, is a departure from the past as I am painting it more like the roosters. We will see how it turns out. It looks good so far.
These rooster paintings and giclee prints from them are available at RiverStone Gallery.
Copyright © Lexi Sundell 2008. All Rights Reserved.
Oh my! Mardi Gras Rooster is just so beautiful. I wish they were that stunning irl 😉 I think your roosters are fabulous and am so pleased I followed a blogosphere link to see them. I should follow my mouse more often…I’ll be back to check out your work again.
I love your use of color in Mardi Gras Rooster. And he has that “don’t you come too close to me ” look.
At 40″ x 40″, I bet that has some power to it.
Love it, so I Stumbled it under “painting” and “arts.”
🙂
John
Cath and John,
Thank you for your kind remarks, I am so pleased you enjoy my new painting series!
Lexi
Lexi
being very familiar with your work, i know how you love to play with color: in your garden and on canvas. Thank you for these amazing beauties on canvas – you make them come alive. Truly magnificent!
Love the roosters-and the large size. Very unusual. And enjoyed how you decided to paint them. My daughter really likes to use roosters in decorating. We seem to have a lot of rooster things in the kitchen and den. My dad and his brother and sister were terrified of roosters and chickens. Their mother would keep them in bed, when they were children and were sick, by putting feathers on the floor around the bed!
Carolyn,
Thanks, glad you enjoy them!
Cecelia,
Thank you for your kind comments as well.
I have never heard of anyone keeping children in bed that way before! My grandson likes to carry chickens in his arms, they are his buddies. Different circumstances entirely I would suspect…
Lexi,
I really love bird of fire. Says something about my personality, I guess.
I’ve also been feeling the need to get away from my usual routine of creating fractals, incubating new ideas. I’m currently in that maddening phase where I know that I’ll be making something soon, but I have no idea what it is yet!
Vitor
Vitor,
Glad Bird of Fire resonates with you!
I thoroughly enjoy your artwork and am intrigued that something new is brewing for you. I look forward to seeing what you do!
I found having other tasks I needed to do allowed me to flow through the incubation phase more easily.
Let me know when you bring your new creations into being!
Lexi
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