Chicken Brushes

Chicken feather brushes are a great way to add spontaneous texture to a watercolor wash. With varying degrees of pressure and movement, each stroke will flourish in the graceful unpredictability of the feathers’ spread. Each brush is hand made by Liz with feathers from her and Nen’s very spoiled chickens and random cool-looking sticks she finds in the yard.

Meet Boba and QQ! Boba, on the left, is an Ayam Cemani and her favorite treat is sunflower seeds. QQ, right, is a Copper Marans. Her favorite treat is worms! They are both hens who enjoy sunbathing and digging in the dirt. All feathers are collected in a completely humane way. Each day, when Liz cleans their run and coop, she collects what feathers have been shed and bags them to be washed. Feathers are taken ONLY when they have naturally been discarded by the ladies, there is no plucking of any sort.

NOTE: These brushes have only been tested with water-heavy mediums so far. The way they would react in acrylic or oil paints is currently unknown.