Hen House at the County Faire-A Peek-a-Boo Project

Growing up in the countryside of Pennsylvania we were excited when summer came and it was time for the Lycoming County Fair, as a youth I’d spend the week there walking the circuit and seeing who I could see, strange to think of now as I am more of a shy introverted individual.

I’ve written about the Sideshow Tent or the Freak Show before in my blog titled: County Fairs Can be a Circus.

I was also intrigued  by the livestock buildings, that housed the cows, horses, sheep, pigs, rabbits, alpacas, lamas, emus, woodland creatures and poultry. We raised chickens at the homestead of my childhood but in the poultry building they had exotic breeds not seen in our small chicken coop. They are the inspiration for this artwork. 

Supplies:  GSLC Vintage Triptych Florentine, Magazine Pictures of Your Choosing, I Used Ralph Lauren Advertisement That Happened to Include Chickens, Pen, Scissors, Shades of Green and Off White Acrylic Paints, Paintbrush, Wire Cage Embossing Folder, Sizzix Big Kick Machine, SilverLeaf Run’nBuff, UHU GlueStick, WeldBond Glue, Nail Emory File, Cloth Table, Paper Butterfly Embellishments, Alligator Crimping Tool, Mini Knobs, Screwdriver, DecoArt Matte Gel Medium

1. Gather Supplies.
   
2. Use a Pen to Trace the Portions of the Magazine Pictures you Wish to Uses.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Use Scissors to Cut out Pieces.
   
4. On Larger Inside Picture Use a Wire Gauge Folders and Sizzix Big Kick Machine to Add Texture to Image.
   
5. Gently Rub Embossed Picture with SilverLeave Run’nBuff to give the Appearance of Depth.
   
6. Use a UHU GlueStick to Glue Larger Image to Pack Portion of GSLC Triptych.
   
7. Rub Edges Smoothly with a Nail Emory File.
   
8. Use a UHU GlueStick to Glue Smaller Images to Both Front and Back Portions  of GSLC Triptych Side Panels.
   
   
   
   
9. Rub Edges Smoothly with a Nail Emory File.
10. Use Shades of Green and Off White Acrylic Pains to Paint the Inner Frame of GSLC Triptych.
    
11. Use Cloth Tape to Form Hinges of Triptych.
    
12. Use WeldBond to Glue Frame of Inside Portion of GSLC Triptych.
    
13. Add Paper Butterfly Embellishments as Desired to Prepared Triptych.
    
14. Use Alligator Crimping Tool to Punch Holes is side Panels.
    
15. Attach Small Knobs Using Screwdriver to Secure into Place.
16. Gently Coat Entire Project with DecoArt Matte Gel Medium using a Paintbrush.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    

    
    

Final Thoughts

The only egg colors that our chickens produces were basic brown and white. Years later in a Martha Stewart Spring Issue, I was introduced to the many shades that eggs cold be. I marveled at the bluish tones, to creamy pinks, shades of green and hues of brown, and a variety of whites. It still seems so magical to me the variety of colors bird eggs can be. 

In the Hen House at  Lycoming County Fair Grounds, there were  a wide variety of chickens some looked like they were wearing wigs, much like RuPaul dressed in drag.These were Polish or Sultan Breeds. The Silkie Breed of Chickens have soft silky feathers. They look like a combo of Alpaca and the world’s most comfy sweater.  Rhode Island Reds have red-orange eyes and rust-colored sometimes almost maroon colored feather. They are stately and regal in their appearance.The Barred Plymouth Rock Chickens have sharply defined parallel lines of Black and White the jail breakers of the crowd. They have stunning bright red combs and wattles. Some Wyandotte Chickens have brown feathers that are lined in black but this variety of  chicken has eighteen recognized color patterns so you can color coordinate them for your backyard Aviary.  Many Bantam Chicken have feathered feet, the Booted Bantam looks like they are wearing chaps, they may be best suited for a cowboy themed chicken coop.

As I child I remember visiting my Uncle Bob and Aunt Margaret when they lived on the farm, deeper in the country, farther up the mountain past the country store with a bear mounted in it’s breezeway. Aunt Margaret was a tiny woman and uncle Bob seemed a giant compared to her. They had a three legged dog and a flock of banty chickens that ran wild. I always wanted to go search for their eggs but none seemed to know where they nested. They the original  free-range organic chickens. In the springtime when their babies were hatched they were so tiny and cute. The momma hen would corral them and keep them close to her. Looking back now I also realize that many of our meals were farm to table long before it got boojie.

Double Sided Coins-A Peek-a-Boo Project

In early spring, March through April, billions of birds migrate back into the United States from their southern wintering grounds. These birds are teaching for nesting locations for breeding season, with abundant food sources. In the United States the bird most associated with our coinage is our bald eagle, but around the world there are other coins with birds on them. Usually when tossing coins, you want a two-sided coin that are different. For these trick coins, tails side always wins. They are the inspiration for this artwork.

Supplies:  GSLC Artist Trading Coins,  GSLC Fern Fronds, Antiquarian Sticker Books, UHU GlueStick, Magazine Pictures, With cloth, Nail File, Highlighters, Matte Gel Medium, Paintbrush, Assortment of Green Acrylic Paints, Cheap Hair Spray, Iridescent Glitter, WeldBond Glue, Polymer Clay, Leaf and Flower Molds, Mica Powders, MakeupBrush, Polymer Clay Oven, Colored Pencils

1. Gather Supplies.
   
2. Glue GSLC Artist Trading Coins to Magazine Pictures Using a UHU GlueStick.
   
3. Once Dry, Take a Damp Cloth to Rub Around Coin Edges. Gently press out coins.
   
4. Use a Nail File to Sand Edges.
   
   
5. Use Highlighters on Edges of Sanded Coins.
   
6. Seal With Matte Gel Medium.
   
7. Search Through Antiquarian Sticker Books for Desirable Stickers and UHU GlueStick to Create Compositions.
   
8. Use Assortment of Green Acrylic Paints and Dry Brush Technique on GSLC Fern Fronds.
   
9. Spray with Cheap Hair Spray and Sprinkle on Iridescent Glitter.
   
10.  Cut Apart Fern Fronds and Secure to GSLC ATC Coins Using WeldBond Glue.
    
11.  Press Flat with a Weighted Object.
12.  Use Polymer Clay Leaf and Flower Molds to Make Additional Embellishments.
     
13. Use Mica Powders and an MakeupBrush to Add Shimmer to the Pieces.
    
14.  Cure as Directed on Package in a Polymer Clay Oven.
15. Once Cooled Add Clay Embellishments to Prepared Coins.
    
16.  Add Patina Using Colored Pencils and Seal with Cheap Hair Spray.
    
    
    

Final Thoughts

One cannot talk about coins without mentioning the Witcher. Toss A Coin To Your Witcher, is such a catchy tune. Just as we all know there are two sides to a coin There are two sides to every story.

Besides the American Eagle being featured on many of our coins, there is a Cuban Coin with a Hummingbird on it, UK Farthings with Wrens, Russian Federation Ruble wit a Two-Headed Eagle, a mythological bird, the Simurgh, on the Iranian Rials,  Australia has coins with a lyre burn and an emu on them, The Canadian Loonie coin has a loon on it, and at one time they had a River Dollar Flying Goose coin. I am sure there are others but these re the one I discovered during my research. 

For Migrating Birds there are two most prominent seasons, Spring and Autumn, and two lands where they call home. While not all birds migrate and have adapted to survive the cold winter, many do. Some may only migrate a few hundred miles to escape the worst of the winter weather and food shortage, others  wile other may fly thousands of miles.  The Arctic Tern fly more than 49,000 miles round-trip each year  from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to winter foraging areas in the waters off Antartica.