"Wooden Rooster"

     This piece was painted for an “Americana” theme show at McBride Gallery.  I love old weathervanes and have painted several, but this is my first painting of a hand-made wooden one. The red, white and blue colors made this a perfect piece for this show.  No one knows who made this little gem of a weathervane, but he was quite talented and he certainly captured the essence of the cocky old rooster. He also had a sense of humor, which seems to be a common thread in a lot of folk art.

     As you can imagine, I loved the aged wood, flaking paint, and the cracks and holes; these are the fun parts of painting trompe l’oeil and sharp focus realistic pieces.  I know that I run the risk of being redundant when I say that I like to have fun when I work, but I really do.  Who can say that after 33 years of working at something, he or she still has fun at it?  I believe that if you love what you do, it will show, even in a smaller painting like this one.  I wish I could have this actual weathervane in my collection, but painting it was the next best thing.

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