I LOVED making this piece and the history behind Benjamin Franklin and his desire for the Turkey to be the United States National Bird rather than the Eagle is most interesting. His banner reads "Where Liberty is, there is my Country. Benjamin Franklin, 1783"I remember while I was making this piece feeling such a sense of pride for my Country, our Founding Fathers and the Constitution.
I made the turkey from muslin which I painted and then grunged and grunged some more with lots of cinnamon. He is mounted to a wooden base and the turkeys legs are made from wire. Benjamin's head is made from paper mache that I sculpted by hand and painted with acrylics and sealed. His hair is a wool blend yarn. His body is made from muslin.
A Rusty Creek Primitives Original Design, 2007
