An Ostentation of Peacocks

I completed another print in my series on the terms of venery: the aptly named 'ostentation' of peacocks!



This lino block print is printed in metallic and pearlescent inks on Japanese kozo (or mulberry) paper 12.5 inches by 8 inches, or 31.7 cm by 20.3 cm in dimension, in a slightly variable edition of eight. The pearlescent ink mimics the beautiful irridescence of those ostentatious peacock feathers. The block is inked 'à la poupée', meaning the multiple colours (indigo, apple green, turquoise and gold) are all inked at the same time, in small areas, and the print is pulled all at once.

The word 'Ostentation' is in a rather rococo and ostentatious typeface. I designed the font of 'Peacocks' to echo the feathers shapes and 'eyes' on the tail feathers.

For almost three years, I live in a rural area of Vancouver Island, in small farm house. My landlady kept a horse, chickens, a peacock and a peahen. The peacocks are beautiful, but their appeal as pets somewhat allude me. The make the most bloodcurdling screech, at a volume which put the rooster to shame. They are also unruly, proud, escape artists. They were reasonably common on the peninsula, and many times I found myself stuck crawling along a back road in my old beater of a car, waiting for an escaped peacock to cross, or retreat. Our peahen escaped regularly, and terrorized the neighbour, who was not fond of large birds. I would have thought the local bald eagles and barn owls would have been more intimidating, but I suppose they at least, stayed away from people. Whereas the peahen would loom above doorways. Personally, I think she just wanted to get away from the arrogant, preening, screeching cacophony of her would-be mate. I would run away too, if I shared a coop with anything which made that raqcket.