Hang Time

This is a special painting for me. The old rusty pulley was found in the turkey coop behind the house when we moved in 27 years ago. I have used it on many occasions and have always had an attraction for old pulleys. I hung this pulley on a nail outside, against the wall of our old log garage. At one time, the logs were painted and we later had them sand-blasted to bring back the look of the real wood. Some small bits of the old light base paint are still stuck to the logs and the chinking between the logs is pitted and cracking. I was looking for a detailed, interesting setting for a painting and I knew this was the perfect setup. The black-capped chickadees make their home here in northern Michigan all year long. I love their cheerful calls and they frequently feed right out of my hand. I have taken many photographs of them for reference and I love to paint them. I thought the chickadee would look good on the rusty pulley so I put together a composition for this painting. All of the items in the painting were painted life-size. - Rod Lawrence