Living World - Little Girl & Chickens Art Print

See the whole Wild Tenderness Collection

Message from the Artist: I have a tenderness for chickens. It may be due to playing Minecraft with my young ones, where I love to gather a flock of chickens, giving them love through seeds and collecting their eggs. I love that when you hold seeds, the chickens gleefully follow you for miles through the trees and grass, until you get to the little farm you created for them.

Maybe I like chickens because I grew up with a whole pile of red hens and one rooster. A pen full of Rhode Island Reds, and a chicken house that was hot and smelly. I would bravely collect eggs from the nests in the house, while the flock would watch from the roosts above. They would be half asleep, warm and safe, babbling, but not threatening.

In real life, over a month ago, I was happy when my oft-absent neighbor suddenly acquired a small flock of 7 chickens. Each a different pretty breed. I loved peeking over the fence at them, they were so cute. They grew and wandered, without a hen house. They somehow survived that first month of nights, and shortly, two of the chickens were discovered to be roosters. Even when the roosters found their adolescent squeaky voices and began waking my husband and I 2-3 times in the wee hours of every morning for several weeks, I just couldn’t hold a grudge against those chickens. I didn’t mind listening to them babble and they even jumped their fence many times, wandering the sidewalks.

Since my neighbor is nearly never home, it was I who led them back into their yard. The little red hen, in particular, seemed to be fond of me and would run along eagerly behind me as I led her to her gate. Back home to her grey, white, black and mottled grey & white brothers and sisters. I felt ultimately admired as she followed me happily. And satisfied to know that I’d saved her by getting her back home.

One night I woke to the night-shattering sound of terrified hens. The cacophony went on for a couple hours, they screamed like babes in the night, it was awful. Lying wide-eyed and whimpering in my bed as I heard what I guessed to be raccoons certainly ransacking the little open “pen” my (now it seemed irresponsible chicken-owning) neighbor had put together for his pets. A pen on the ground with branches for a roof, no solid walls, no roosts, no real protection from the night’s visitors. I was heartbroken, listening, but having no connection to this mysterious new neighbor, I dared not go into his backyard in the middle of the night.

Waking bleary-eyed, I felt like I’d been witness to a crime. I peered through the fence throughout the next few days to see what appeared to be feathers everywhere and one lone red hen, standing amongst them. My heart felt so sad for her. I wished she would jump the fence so that I could sit and pet her and tell her I was so sorry for what she’d witnessed. I couldn’t imagine what her eyes had seen.

Currently, the little red hen, her spirit broken, meanders around the yard alone. Her sisters taken; her two protective brothers gone. She has taken to roosting at night in the tree in my yard, and I’m so happy to see her there. I wrote this story because those little chickens were valued, by me – they were real little living loves who wandered and explored and didn’t hurt anyone. I feel sad when I think about them. I created this piece as a little rainbow celebration of those chickens – a worthy addition to Mother Nature’s living world – and I gave them their own house, too.

A print from the Wild Tenderness Collection.

Choose the Embellished option to personalize your print with eye or hair color. Contact Katie if you can't find what you are looking for. 

SELECT YOUR PRINT SIZE:

~a Signed Art Print on paper (3 size options)
~a Hand-Embellished & Signed Art Print on paper (more information below)
~or a Stretched Canvas Art Print, ready to hang out of the box

All prints are created from original Katie m. Berggren paintings. 

FRAMING: For paper prints, use a frame that matches the size of your print if you want the image to go right to the edges. The 1/8” margin will be hidden behind the frame. Prefer some space between art and frame? Choose a larger frame with a window mat that fits the print size. For example, a 16x16 inch frame with a 12x12 inch mat, or a 12x12 inch frame with an 8x8 inch mat. Simple and beautiful!

••Signed Art Prints on Paper••

Your Art Print is created on premium paper with an 8-ink process for vibrant, fade-proof color. It’s hand-signed, carefully packaged, and made with archival materials to ensure 100+ years of inspiring memories and touching hearts.

Prints are packaged with a board and sleeve, then shipped in a sturdy mailer. Art Prints have a 1/8-inch border and fit standard frames. See above.

••Embellished Art Prints on Paper••

A 12x12 inch Art Print is hand-accented for unique brush-stroke texture and an artist’s touch. I sign the front, date the back, and package it with a board and sleeve, then wrap and ship in a sturdy mailer.

An Embellished Print allows custom changes like eye color, hair accents, facial hair, glasses, and more, all added with paint. Simply leave notes at checkout for personalization, and you'll receive a confirmation email. Allow 1-2 days for creation and drying before shipping. SEE SAMPLES