The Brood

The Brood

Watercolour and ink on paper

13.5 × 13.5 inches 34.3 × 34.3 cm

Unframed

Baby chicks have always made me hesitate. They are so tiny, so fluffy, and somehow harder to paint than they look. But enough hesitation. Here they are, and I’m happy with how they turned out. They also bring back a very specific childhood memory. Every spring, when the chicks hatched, my grandmother would bring them into the house to keep them warm. They often arrived still wet, and I loved watching them dry until they became soft and fluffy. I remember gently blowing on them or holding them close, and watching their little eyes close as they drifted off to sleep. I loved spending time with them, and I can still remember their smell. Painting these little chicks brought me back to those spring days at my grandmother’s house. Some memories stay with us in the smallest details — the warmth, their soft down, and even the smell of freshly hatched chicks.