Made by Liam Murtagh
Hi Jonni,
I live in Ireland and am recently retired from a day job in the public service. I wanted to take up a art / craft related hobby – but I hadn’t undertaken any art / craft work ever really since doing a bit of it at school. I was fortunate to find your website and am so impressed by your work and how to share it so freely and honestly you deserve an award. I purchased your small animal designs book and started on Project 1, the Vintage Chicken. However, as it was coming up to Easter, I decided to call it an ‘Easter Chick’ and paint in accordingly. It is a bit crude and I realise that there are improvements I would make it if I was doing a second time.
By the way, you mentioned that you are going to acquire some real chickens. I grew up on a farm and had them for 20 years but not since I left the homestead. Am sure you will take care to protect them from predators. Here, the main one is the fox.
Take good care of yourself during the Covid pandemic.
Liam
Liam, your chicken is a great delight. It brought back many memories. I, too, began with Jonni’s book and made three or four chickens that is the same breed as yours. I had them sitting around for a long time. You have great adventures awaiting you in the next chapters. I hope you show us all of them. Thank you very much.
I love Ireland! My best friend lives across the pond on the Isle of Man. Can’t wait to see your fish.
Hi Jonni,
Perhaps you could sculp a full life-size paper mache bear in your garden to scare the real one away from your chicks. (Decoys of hawks are sometimes used to keep certain birds away). You have the bear head already completed!!!
Liam
I actually thought about making some bear cubs and sit in some lawn chairs out in front of the house. I don’t know if that would scare other bears away, or make them mad because interlopers were invading their territory. It would be really fun to watch their reactions, though.
Sadly, I haven’t been able to see our bear. Just his tracks and other stuff he leaves behind as he wanders around the park. He has a fondness for the dried corn cobs that people put out for the squirrels. Guess how I know. 🙂
Many thanks Jonni for uploading and responding to me. Liam
Liam, your Easter chick hatched just in time. Thanks so much for sharing the photo with us.
And yes, we have predators here, too. In fact, I think there are more wild animals in my small town than there are people. We even have a small bear that comes back every year. I’ll take care to keep the baby chicks safe.
Stay well!
Jonni