In 2016, a law was broken. In the dark of night, a dingy bedraggled rooster was dropped off in the streets of Ybor City. Thrown away by his owner, he had little chance of survival in the feral community and his future seemed bleak. Fast forward: He ascended to become the superstar of Centennial Park. Soon stunning in both appearance and character, he was dubbed The Colonel, and a group of diverse humans became his fan club. This artist drove weekly from north Tampa to sweep the park and watch The Colonel work his magic. Our Colonel was guardian of baby chicks and new mama hens, protecting the little families from danger. Normally laid back and non confrontational, if another rooster threatened a new mom, The Colonel went into action to protect her and her chicks. If a treat was offered, The Colonel deferred to others. When scary thunderstorms threatened, he scurried the little chicks and mamas to shelter, himself getting drenched in the process. At dusk, he waited until every single chicken flew up to roost in the trees for nighttime safety. Only then did The Colonel fly up to claim his own spot. That last moment at dusk as he ascended, after all the others were in place, was nothing short of magical. When this artist sits in silence in the park, she still feels the magic of our Colonel, and sheds a tear for a life well lived.
The Ybor chickens are free roaming street chickens residing, past or present, in Tampa's Ybor City Historic District. The chickens have been here since the 1800's when workers relocated to Tampa from Key West to work in the cigar factories and brought their chickens with them. Although the cigar industry and workers are gone, the descendants of the early chickens remain, along with others who have joined the flock. It's a hard life for them on the busy Tampa streets, but they've adapted and are quite the attraction for visitors and residents alike. We think of them as the jewels of Ybor!
Painting is mounted on a 2" deep wood plaque. It is wired for hanging or can stand alone on a shelf.
**A portion of sales proceeds is donated to the non profit 501(c)3 Ybor Misfits Micro-Sanctuary for rehabilitation and care of the Ybor chickens.
THE COLONEL
In 2016, a law was broken. In the dark of night, a dingy bedraggled rooster was dropped off in the streets of Ybor City. Thrown away by his owner, he had little chance of survival in the feral community and his future seemed bleak. Fast forward: He ascended to become the superstar of Centennial Park. Soon stunning in both appearance and character, he was dubbed The Colonel, and a group of diverse humans became his fan club. This artist drove weekly from north Tampa to sweep the park and watch The Colonel work his magic. Our Colonel was guardian of baby chicks and new mama hens, protecting the little families from danger. Normally laid back and non confrontational, if another rooster threatened a new mom, The Colonel went into action to protect her and her chicks. If a treat was offered, The Colonel deferred to others. When scary thunderstorms threatened, he scurried the little chicks and mamas to shelter, himself getting drenched in the process. At dusk, he waited until every single chicken flew up to roost in the trees for nighttime safety. Only then did The Colonel fly up to claim his own spot. That last moment at dusk as he ascended, after all the others were in place, was nothing short of magical. When this artist sits in silence in the park, she still feels the magic of our Colonel, and sheds a tear for a life well lived.
The Ybor chickens are free roaming street chickens residing, past or present, in Tampa's Ybor City Historic District. The chickens have been here since the 1800's when workers relocated to Tampa from Key West to work in the cigar factories and brought their chickens with them. Although the cigar industry and workers are gone, the descendants of the early chickens remain, along with others who have joined the flock. It's a hard life for them on the busy Tampa streets, but they've adapted and are quite the attraction for visitors and residents alike. We think of them as the jewels of Ybor!
Painting is mounted on a 2" deep wood plaque. It is wired for hanging or can stand alone on a shelf.
**A portion of sales proceeds is donated to the non profit 501(c)3 Ybor Misfits Micro-Sanctuary for rehabilitation and care of the Ybor chickens.