Artemis and the girls

Ink sketch and W&N watercolours on a coffee back-ground – Nescafé instant, strong! – Bockingford 300gsm

As I sat on the lawn the other morning, enjoying our gorgeous summer weather (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa), I decided to do a quick sketch of Artemis keeping a watchful eye on the girls as they scratch for titbits on the lawn. As long as they are happy, he won’t move, so he makes a perfect subject.

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Kiep, my Bantam

I’m a free range chicken. 

I do what I want. 

I’m a free range chicken. 

I go where I want. 

I peck a little here. 

I peck a little there. 

I’m a free range chicken. 

That’s what I’m doing here! 

- Unknown 

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

Kiep, my little pet hen, comes from Bantam stock, though clearly mixed with a variety of other chicken breeds, and she actually looks like a miniature Leghorn.

Bantam chickens have been domesticated for centuries. In fact, they are one of the oldest known domestic animals. Marco Polo wrote about banties in his journal. While all bantams are chickens, not all chickens are banties. 

All bantams are smaller than regular chickens and they share some unique personality traits. I personally think they have more personality than chickens do, are more able to care for themselves, and find more of their own food. They seem to keep the grasshopper population down better than other types of poultry! I haven’t seen a bug in my garden for ages since introducing chickens to my garden again.

Healthy bantams are curious. They will check out anything that seems unusual and loudly announce the arrival of visitors. I do not keep them locked in the pen, they roam as much as possible (a chicken’s raison de etre!) and have access to fresh, green grass, insects, and whatever else they find in addition to the feed I give them. And I'm rewarded with breakfast every morning!

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Country Diary - Buyers' Corner

“Art is not a thing; it is a way.”
- Elbert Hubbard

Ink and wash and collage in my Moleskine 200gsm "Country Diary"

I started a Country Diary a while ago, which consists of paintings, sketches and collages depicting nature, rural and farm life. This is my first entry and I'll be posting a couple of them here, and it was a nice break from my regular landscapes and sketching. I'd forgotten how wonderful it feels to play again! This is one of my roosters, Artemis, and he actually makes quite a willing sketch subject, not minding standing quietly close-by as I sit and sketch in the garden.

I sometimes think I'd rather crow

And be a rooster than to roost

And be a crow. But I don't know.

A rooster he can roost also,

Which doesn't seem fair when crows can't crow.

Which may help some. But I don't know.

Crows should be glad of one thing, though;

Nobody thinks of eating crow,

While roosters they are good enough

For anyone unless they're tough.

There are lots of tough old roosters, though.

And anyway a crow can't crow,

So maybe roosters stand more show.

It looks that way. But I don't know.

~Unknown

A new family!

"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg - not by smashing it."

- Arnold Glasow

"Pippie the Hen" - watercolour on Visual 140gsm - 12" x 8" - Maree©

This is Pippie, one of Kingston's hens, getting quite fluffed up having me so close and personal in her space! The other hen took off as soon as I approached, but I think Pippie's brood is about to hatch and she's not being intimidated by a lunatic with a sketch-book!

She was in Kingston's harem when I bought them, just in time, as he was destined for the pot. I haven't brought them over to my yard yet as some of the hens are still sitting on eggs, so I'll be getting a few extra for my money spent!