Too Many in the Flock
Dimensions: 45 × 45 in / 114 × 114 cm
This is the largest painting I have made so far.
It shows many chickens together — different breeds, colours, and shapes. There are buff chickens, crested hens with feathered heads, and roosters. Some are patterned, some are plain, all mixed into one group. I painted it in watercolour and ink. The colours stay soft, but the lines are more direct and graphic than in my smaller works. Working on a large scale changed how I move and build the image.
My grandmother had chickens, but they were simple and familiar. I always dreamed that we would one day have more unusual breeds — especially the ones with feathered “caps.” At some point, someone gave us one such chicken, and I remember being very happy.
The ones in this painting are more varied and exaggerated — almost like a mix of memory and imagination.
