Kauai Hen-Day 5

© Ellen Blonder

 I just added detail to the feathers today, mostly painted with my synthetic brushes. I did try out my new paintbrush, acquired on my India trip, on the finest details. The artists make their own paintbrushes from squirrels that they feed a special diet. All the hairs on the brush curve in the same direction, and a single hair is the tiniest bit longer than the others, perfect for their exquisite miniature paintings. 

The artist who sold me the brush (for about $2) told me with one dip of the brush in paint, they can work for half an hour before needing to dip their brush again. For their miniatures, pigments are ground from stones and minerals and mixed with gum arabic. I can't do that with acrylic--the paint would dry up in the hairs--but it does create an extraordinarily fine line.