Mrs brown

mrs brown , listening.

Our hen mrs brown , attracts a lot of attention , so i thought it would be  helpful to begin under her wing .
 Today she received a letter from our friend Andrew, with a photo of her driving a car , but even odder an invitation to join his mens only club. . I dont know how to reply for her - I've been out to see her and she was making a loud cluckcluckclucking aaaaaah clucluck , because she had laid a particularly large brown egg ,






 I don't think she's a clubby type , and a mens club?  and  anyway she's a women  -  hen   Actually i didn't even ask her , which might disappoint Andrew, so perhaps i better at least inform mrs B, she can get agitated if i don't include her .
 When i first got her from a battery 'farm' she quickly found a little nesting place , in the hen house ,where she sat  - refusing to roost - her legs weren't strong .  She decided that the whole little  house was hers and wouldn't let the others in - i listened to the thumps and squawks as she shoved them out . It was very moving seeing her first walks across the grass ,and blinking in the real air, and light. I left my studio door open , and she came to visit me sometimes , i usually had music playing , but one day i played Faures requiem , and she was entranced and stayed with me listening . I thought she would come into my paintings , but she hasnt yet . Neddy my dog has , he's always on the edge of my vision .Putting dogs in paintings though is a dicey business .

    I returned to my ditch today , to see it in a new season , when i last painted it , there was a poppy flowering . Today chilly and grey yellow , i was reignited by the  extraordinary  stones wedged in its side - next to , it felt  the  angels vast thigh  -  i feel doomed but excited  to go on with all of that . How - oils, water-colours ,there  on the spot , or here with memories i haven't  yet worked out .
      Good though, i've begun .