Traveler Tree and Roosters

© Ellen Blonder

I'm fascinated by the traveler tree, with its leaves angling down in flat Vs to form the trunk. I once heard travelers could find water caught at the base of the leaves, giving the tree its name. The trees grow into magnificent fans, much larger in relation to a rooster in reality. I'm taking artistic license here.

Ever since Hurricane Iniki destroyed chicken cages, Kauai has hosted an ever-growing population of wild chickens. Since some of the original escapees were fighting cocks, their descendents are often quite impressive specimens.
I thought I'd add one to this recent painting, a 15 x 15 acrylic on canvas that I started painting during our most recent trip.

The flower is pink ginger.

I think I'll focus more on a rooster in my next painting. Here's my preliminary sketch based on a photo I took of a rooster strolling casually past Starbucks in Lihue.