top of page
Search
Writer's pictureLisa Timmerman
Jan 21, 20212 min read

Winter Wellies and Hens

**Words by Amber L-J**

I look through the frosted window of my front door, to see a blanket of snow resting on the chickens, soft but icy. Only their red beaks peak through, contrasting to the perfect white, as bright as the blank page of a new chapter.

Once the door is opened, the warm air is sucked out of my home into my glacial surroundings. The cold air pinches my cheeks, and rises in pearl clouds from my mouth with each breath. My wellies greet me at the doorstep, offering to protect my feet from the cold and slippery ground. Like Cinderella, they perfectly fit for the occasion.

The clean slate from the snow is marked with my brown boot marks, as I gingerly walk toward my velvety-plumaged companions. The hens look up and see me, with their fluffed-up feathers shielding the cold. They gather around my feet, and I lean down to pet them with my gloved hands.

I am reminded of snow days as a child, listening eagerly for news that schools were shut and the day was ours. I scoop a handful of soft snow, pressing my palms together until I have created a solid white globe. I throw aimlessly, as if in the midst of a snowball battle, and it lands in the white abyss. It is a day of quiet bliss, with only the muffled creaking of snow underfoot.

**Article Continued on Page Two**

In 2018, ‘Winter Wellies and Hens’ was originally a commission, based on the client’s idea and colour palette. Lisa Timmerman captures a doorway with chickens frolicking in the snow, with an accessible pair of wellies arranged neatly. With the tangible cold of this festive scene present, Lisa said that finishing this commission was also the “farewell to the longest winter ever!”.

Although the original painting has sold, it is still available as a limited-edition giclée print on beautiful-quality, thick etching paper. The original painting by Lisa has been scanned to produce a limited number of fine art prints, identical in colour to the original painting. Signed and numbered, only twenty-five of these prints will ever be produced.

Winter Wellies and Hens: Framed

Despite the arctic conditions, the pink hues in this painting suggest a tenderness and warmth. It is also interesting to debate whether the viewer has left their wellies outside and retreated into the warmth, or the owner is about to join their hens playing in the snow. The largely ajar door suggests the latter, and that the viewer may be adolescent in the spirit of adventure.

Lisa’s unique commissions successfully rise to the challenge of capturing another’s artistic vision. ‘Winter Wellies’, as well as Commissions, can be found on Lisa Timmerman’s website.

0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments

bottom of page