Poultry Portraits

Poultry Portraits arose out of my move to rural Virginia and my children’s conviction that it was critical to have a flock of chickens now that we had the space to do so.  They spent days constructing a coop and found someone to deliver ten Southern Red hens to our house.   I was not necessarily thrilled.  I had never had chickens and had no idea of what they were like.  

As such things go, I found myself taking care of the flock…and slowly becoming enraptured by their beauty, their precociousness, and their personalities.   Hilarious, frustrating, wise, sometimes mean, they encompass the spectrum of characteristics.  Chickens are, frankly, rather amazing. 

On one level, my flock reflects my conviction that there is glory in every moment and in every life form.  I believe that.  However, that sort of statement often comes with a dose of seriousness and stuffiness. That would not do.  Rather, the glory and grace of creation should  exude joy and, indeed, fun.  Dour portrayals of creation make no sense, in my opinion.  And, so, I decided to celebrate my flock with their own portraits and other images that display their style, beauty, and personalities.  Part educational, part camp, these images reflect my experience of living amongst Southern Red hens, Easter Eggers, Americaunas, Blue Splash Marans, and Black Australorps.