The Traveling Chicken: The Traveling Chicken and Her Peeps Come to Mankato, MN

A few days ago I thought there was a little pecking noise at the front door... Not sure if I was actually hearing something, I went to check. It's a good thing I glanced down! There was the tiny Traveling Chicken and her dear companions, Senor Azul and Hen right on my doorstep, shivering in the cold! " Come in, come in! It's freezing out there!" They were more than happy to escape the dangerous wind chills we've been having here in "Minnesnowta" and come inside to warm up. After they had settled in, we got acquainted over a beverage or two and learned that we had many things in common, including our enjoyment of art communities where we can all learn and grow together. I mentioned that I had been an art teacher and this seemed to get TC very excited! She confided that, had she not chosen to be a world famous, globe-trotting artist's model, she would have liked to have been a teacher as well. TC loves to be around artists, both young and old, and loves to encourage others to find their creative spirit. That got me thinking. "Hey!", I said, "would you like to join me tomorrow when I go to my figure drawing group at the Art Center in St.Peter?" "You bet we would!", they all said in unison. The next day we went to the little town where our feathered friends posed and the artists drew them. Here you can see Senor Azul posing with Kelly, our model. Kelly was thrilled to share the stage with such celebrities!

After our fun time there, we decided we would like to work with some younger artists too. Rosa Parks Elementary School kindly opened their doors to us and art teacher, Amy Muehlenhardt, invited us into her classroom. Her students were delighted to meet the famous travelers and enjoyed creating art about them in a variety of ways. So many great ideas came from these original thinkers! Some kids wanted to sketch, others painted, some used oil pastels or chalk pastels. Many students came up with stories that would have made great books or movies. It was a very exciting time, over-flowing with creative energy! Here is just a tiny sample of the art happening that day. I predict there will be more to share soon.

After visiting and sharing with so many artists, it was now our turn for art-making. We couldn't wait! Back in my home studio, TC struck a pose while the rest of us took some inspiration from our visits with the local art communities and created our own art works. Lucky me! I was standing far enough back that I was able to capture the whole flock! We had such a lovely time together, that I will be sad to see them go. But, alas, it is time for the little art ambassadors to pack up and move on to their next destination. They told me that, even though February is a very cold month to be in Minnesota, they enjoyed meeting so many warm hearted artists and will always remember their visit to the land of 10,000 lakes.