Sunday, June 14, 2009

Miss Lulu--she cut off their beaks with rusty scissors

I cleared a path to my easel and am working on a new painting.
"Miss Lulu" (36x24) began with charcoal-drawn chickens and many layers of acrylic gels and paints. I added Miss Lulu Thursday and she has the correct attitude; much remains to be done, including darkening the bottom with burnt sienna, and Miss Lulu will be seen through broken chicken wire. As a child I knew her--she dipped snuff, wore men's shirts, hats and sweaters (maybe that's where I got my sense of style), and her husband Charlie always opened the truck door for her. My mother told me that she had cut off her chickens' beaks with scissors so they wouldn't peck at her garden seeds. Despite the story, I liked her.

2 comments:

  1. I love your story about Miss Lulu",(well not the part about the beaks). It brought back some memories I had forgotten about some excentric people I've known.Great Idea to paint them.I'm anxious to see her finished.
    Best, Alston

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  2. My parents had a country store when I was young (my father later attended seminary and became a Baptist minister). I cherish the memories of the characters who spent time sitting around at the store--and all the great stories and tall tales. Not many photos from that time; I did have one of Miss Lulu, but none of her husband Charlie who wore suspenders, had a handle-bar mustache, and always removed his hat when he came in the store. Everyone stopped in on Saturday nights and, yes, we kids played checkers while sitting on nail kegs! Norman Rockwell would have loved it.

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