1516 An Old Cock in a Tree at Woodbridge

Tina Bone

This painting was selected for the Patchings Art Festival (Professional Artist category) 2016, and for the ?Long List? of the Jacksons Inaugural Open Art Competition 2016 ? over 3,000 entries were received.
You might think me strange to want to paint a singing cockerel. But the experience of seeing this scene some years ago, struck a chord which would not go away. This water colour painting is entitled: ?An Old Cock, in a tree, atWoodbridge?(Suffolk) for a very valid reason. My husband and I, with a group of fellow caravanners from a rally a few years ago, organized a walk through Woodbridge (what a pretty town) and part of the walk went through a coppice of trees by a busy main road. We were all startled by this sudden loud crowing, and behold, on a branch in a tree was this lovely old cockerel singing his heart out. I was fortunate to have had my camera at the ready and got a brilliant shot. My painting is based on this shot?busy traffic behind, dappled sunlight through the late winter branches and this old cock (I think he is old because of his thick, stumpy, knobbley legs! Or it could be the breed?) warning any interlopers to steer clear of his ?wild? hen harem down below. It was a really awesome, but strange experience.

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