I've always loved and admired Peacocks...I mean, who doesn't. All those incredible colours, patterns and designs and if you read down the page I will tell you a little story of my first encounter with this mystical looking creature :)
On my recent visit to France, it seemed everywhere I looked I saw peacock designs, colours (bet we see the same colours in Aussie fashion next year) and representations of this beautiful bird.
It is one of France's national emblems.
It sparked something in me.....
I have been painting for a large scale exhibition next year in Sydney and the theme is 'Songs'.
I have so many 'series' running along the theme of songs that I just don't have enough time in the day to get them all down on canvas! They all want to be born at once!
Anyway, one of my series is called 'Bird Songs' and below is the first one along with some close ups. I'm not sure if it will go to the Sydney show or not, we will see.
15x30'' Mixed Media on canvas
The Farmer and the Peacock - A true love story...
All this reminded me of something from years ago.
When I was in my twenties I had a horse which I kept on a local farm...actually it was a free range pig farm.
It was situated off Eight Mile Creek road in dusty Whyalla, South Australia.
Some people say that the best bit about Whyalla is the road out :) I won't say anymore about that.
Getting back to the farm....
One day, out of the blue, a male Peacock flew in, had one look around and decided to stay. He obviously didn't mind the smell.
There he was in his magnificent plumage, strutting around the farm yard, making eyes and lots of them (pun intended) at the ducks, turkeys and chickens.
Quite frankly they didn't give a hoot or a quack for Mr. Peacock's fancy tail and quivering eyes.
They totally ignored him no matter how much he tried. Even the pigs looked at him disdainfully.
It was a blow to his pride.
The farmer felt sorry for Mr. Peacock and set up a full length mirror in the farm yard, thinking it might relieve the bird's loneliness.
It only served to make him worse and more frustrated, as he couldn't work out where the heck the other male peacock, that he could see in the mirror, was hiding!
After several months of Mr. Peacock making a real pest of himself by his continual flirting with anything on two or four legs the farmer once again took pity on him.
Now the farmer was a wonderful man. A typical Aussie bloke. Sun weathered, hard working, in his mid eighties and as tough as old boots.
But he decided to find a Mrs. Peacock for his feathered friend and set off across the state to bring one home.
After letting the lady bird free on the farm she took one look at the pigs, another look at Mr Peacock and declared herself 'out of here'.
Flying off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
The farmer didn't give up and once again headed off across the state to bring home another Mrs. P.
This time she stayed. She obviously didn't mind the smell either.
Mr Peacock had his mate and yes, they did live happily ever after, roaming freely on the pig farm and raising lots of little peacocks.
A true story.
