Chickens are really quite beautiful, but I find draw them challenging. My eyes are entranced by their detailed feathers and the distinct patterns they make, but I don’t have the patience to capture their beauty realistically. If I draw them from life or on video (which is as close to life as we get these pandemic days), then I get a pass from that self-induced pressure. I’m hoping to squeeze in a live video drawing sessions hosted by Elephant in the Room this week which will feature fancy fowl. Want to join me?
My favorite chicken from childhood is the Tic Tac Toe Chicken from the Chinatown Fair arcade on Mott Street in New York City. Yes, you could play Tic Tac Toe against the chicken, but she was hard to beat. A little internet research reveals that the last one in Chinatown was bought by an animal rights activist who placed it in a rescue home back in the late 90s. Even today, a few chickens are trained to play Tic Tac Toe for placement into casinos. There’s a labor story in there for me somewhere.
That brought a chuckle and an "Oh I remember that chicken, and the arcade too" from your Dad. As for me, at first I thought you were talking about a mechanical chicken. Amazing that it was a real live one!
Oh my gosh that Tic Tac Toe Chicken! I love that. I like Foghorn Leghorn from my kid days watching cartoons - and the little baby chick who was so super smart. I didn't remember his name, had to look it up, it is Egghead Jr. They aren't very feathery though and look so different from eachother:)