Charcoal Chickens

I’ve been painting for the sake of painting this week and I’ve really enjoyed it. I fancied working on a larger scale and in an attempt to overcome an internal resistance to experimenting in pastel, I unpacked my willow charcoal and swapped my expensive Spectrum pastel paper for something less precious. But, what to draw? In order to keep at least one constant I opted for animals. The weather did nothing to encourage me to take my materials outside in front of some live models, and the cats were either outside or comatosed, and I wanted something in an animated pose! I have a vast library of photos for inspiration – but since my printer was temporarily out of action I was limited to a small handful of ready printed photos. So chickens it was and a series has begun. My wish to be loose and fluid quickly slipped back into detail and the hours whizzed by – but I enjoyed the freedom and the opportunity to play about with composition. But to really loosen up a bit, I may need to set myself a time limit! I’ve started number 2, this time with an old grey Fergie in the background (Henry’s idea). Whilst I only wanted a hint of Fergie, my critical friend (Henry with anorak) quickly pointed out a few technical misgivings – so a little more work yet to do to the right hand rear wheel. The sun is now shining again and my printer is restored after a heart transplant, so I shall cycle out this afternoon in pursuit of some horny subjects for my next series……