It's All In the Story

Bermuda Rooster
Photo, Ed Galda


It's all in the story.

Okay, so I get an email from my cousin Ed, well not really my cuz, he's my cousin's husband, asking me to do a painting of a rooster based on the above photo.

First thought: What's not right here?  The rooster is mostly in shade and he's just a tiny part of this photo. So I'm not really sure what he wants. 

 But then, he gives me the story and I totally get it. Here are some tidbits  you need to know.  My cousin's daughter, April, is a professional athlete. She races all over the world in cycling races.  I love my cousin and her husband to the moon and back and the fact that they are her hugest fans is totally cool.

He tells me what happened and why he wants the painting and that is everything I need to bring his story to life. 
 

Here's what he wrote to me:

"Here's the story behind it.  On Father's Day 2013 we were in Bermuda.  April had a bicycle race (Bermuda national championships) and volunteered her father to be driven to a street up in the hills, given a stop sign and a vest, and told to control traffic at a tricky intersection (with no bathroom and little shade) for 3 hours.  I would step under some trees off the road periodically and this chicken seemed to take exception to my presence.  I turned to look at him and was met with this aggressive pose.  It's one of my favorite Bermuda stories"

Well, once I knew he had an aggressive rooster story to tell I was on it.  Here is my take on his story.

Bermuda Rooster
acrylic on canvas
©Maggie Ruley 2015
 

When I painted his rooster I was very careful to keep the coloring and the stance the same as his photo but I had to bring the rooster's face into the light so I could give it a mean glare.

P.S.  I loved how he would stand in the middle of nowhere for his daughter and face down a rooster.  We have lots of roosters in Key West.  They can be tough.

P.P.S.  Here is the testimonial I got from him when he received the painting.
"Love the painting more and more each time I look at it.  You did capture everything so well.  You've moved up on my list of favorite artists and are now ahead of Monet, tied with Miro, but still behind Van Gogh and Delacroix."

Really?  Tied with Miro?   I love Monet, not a fan of Miro.

The Chicken Dance

This lively rooster is strutting his stuff.  And despite the lively brushwork in his tail feathers he has somewhat of a folk art feel to him.  I think maybe it's due to the small head.  But their heads really are small in comparison to the rest of them.

Strider
20 x 24" acrylic on canvas
$580
©Maggie Ruley 2014

Hope you are having a great weekend!

 

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The Universe Rewards you for sharing.

 

On the same day that I was writing and posting my thoughts about the new store in Key West, the Funky Chicken Store,

I got an e-mail from the store owner telling me that my large painting

"Wing Man"

had sold.

 

Yippee!

 

It seems like positive energy gets positive results.

 

And, not only did this painting sell, he asked me to paint another large painting for the store.  And here is an interesting note.  He asked if there could be more green in the next one because his customers are requesting green to go with their décor.

 

Anybody else out there getting requests for green?

 

See the Funky Chicken Store post here.

 

 

 

Wing Man
20 x 24"  acrylic on canvas
SOLD
©Maggie Ruley 2013

 

Funky Chicken Store

814 Duval St.

Key West, FL

funky chicken store

 

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You know the economy is picking up when...............

 ...........a mother hen and her brood of nine chicks can go shopping on Duval Street in Key West.

 Aren't they cute?

Here are several different watercolors I did of the peep's baby daddy! 

No really, spring is hen and baby peep time here in Key West.  Traffic comes to a stop when they decide to cross the road.  These peeps live in the tiny alley behing the gallery.  The day before Easter mom brought them out to the front.  But for some reason they decided to go in the store next store instead of ours?  Maybe it was because we were having our spring open house and it was too noisy.  The rooster watercolors were done in the studio the week before just because I wanted to use my new Holbein watercolors.  My new favorite color is "Opera". 

All American boy

Those of you who aren't familiar with Key West might not know that the city is home to a multitude of free range roosters and hens. So, chickens and roosters are a popular theme in our local art galleries. They are very Key West and hallowed Americana at the same time. This lovely fellow is painted in one of my favorite color combos, turquoise, red and black.

Happy Labor Day to all.


"All American Boy"
10 x 8"
acrylic on canvas panel
$325
framed in a gold plein air frame