My mom always calls this pitcher the puking chicken…she even makes puking sounds as she pours from the pitcher….but I’ll spare you!
Isn’t funny you can be a grown adult and still not know what something is really called?
Well, in honor of my 77th post, I looked it up. Here is the story and tradition behind the rooster pitcher (aka. the puking chicken!)
It is an absolutely fascinating story about the Medici’s of Florence Italy. If only I had know when I was in Florence. I may have a couple more of these pitchers. It’s my favorite kitchen item because of its playfulness and color.
So the painting I painted today is 16″ x 16″ inches. But I got the idea from this 2″x3″ inch tiny painting I did months ago. I bought lemons this week and I plan with the exception of pottery day, to paint the lemons differently all week. The lemons are so graphically yellow, I can’t wait to try different color combinations to create change.
So that’s it for today. Sweet and simple. After creating flyers all week, today I really just wanted to sit down and create something traditional like a still life. No matter what, I always come back to them because I find staging the still lives with my own brightly colored objects so fun. The paintings are not only my paintings, but a record of my home decor….for that moment…I’m always changing my decor (makes me feel like I’m in a new space!)
I’ll be hunting and pecking around my home to find some fun still life inspirations…stay tuned!
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Be Creative Mary 
I love your puking chicken. I want to tell you a little story. At times we wonder if, who, and how we touch people with our works. In your case your art!
An old friend of mine was a spectacular artist in many mediums. Virginia Grace was her name. Much of her worked revolved around roosters. Her grandmother raised roosters in our city when she was a young girl and those were some of her fondest memories. Every time I see chickens in art, I am returned back to remember many conversations with Ginnie.
Ginnie died from cancer while she was a student in Fine Arts at our university. She was 54 years old. She almost finished the necessary credits to graduate. She worked full time and attended school full time with top marks. This zest for life was transmitted to her paintings and other works. The University, after being petitioned by a professor, granted Ginnie her degree posthumously. A very rare occurrence indeed.
Her funeral was typical with the exception of her work on display in the church. And there they were … the chickens! Her beloved chickens!
Thank you so much for awakening this memory of my dear friend. Again, I love your chicken!
Oh thank you for that. This morning as I do many mornings, I mentally drift while taking a shower. Questions like “I know my purpose in this world is to be creative, but how will I help or change the world? How can I use my skill set to be a more beneficial presence?” I don’t know that I have the answer and daily it plagues my thoughts….Could it be that simple? To evoke happiness and fond memories? I don’t know, that seems too easy….I always think it should be a struggle or hard….but for today, I will let your kind words sink in and say there is someone in the world I touched..even if only for a brief moment. There is beauty in that. Thank you. (Check out posts #30 and #60 they both have chickens too :)
We so tend to over-analyze and over-complicate things. Keep it simple, then, your purpose becomes clear!