Dege McCoy Watercolor — Roosters, Framed & Signed

Five roosters fill the picture plane edge to edge in a centrifugal composition that pulls the eye continuously around the canvas. McCoy anchors the arrangement with a barrel-chested rooster at left-center, his body providing the horizontal spine the other figures orbit around — a pecking hen grounds the lower register, two roosters jostle and crest in the upper zone, and a partially cropped bird at the right edge implies the flock extends beyond the frame. The palette is disciplined: blue-gray plumage throughout, warm ochre-gold ground, coral reserved exclusively for combs and wattles. That restraint is what keeps the composition readable despite its density. Calligraphic ink-like linework defines talons and feather edges with the confidence of a practiced hand, layered over wet washes rather than rendered stroke by stroke. The background dissolves into loose atmospheric blue-gray — ambiguous sky or blur, not literal setting — which lifts the work above straight illustration into something more resolved.

Signed lower right in green pigment: DeGe McCoy. Presented in a stepped gilt frame under glass with a felt-backed reverse.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Doreen "DeGe" McCoy (1919–2006) was a California-based artist and licensed architect whose dual career placed her at an uncommon intersection of technical precision and expressive art. Born in Colville, Washington, she studied on scholarship at Eastern Washington University and trained at the Northwestern Academy of Watercolor before building a practice as a registered California architect — one of relatively few women to do so in her generation. She was an active member of the Nevada Artists Association and the California Art League, taught watercolor at both introductory and advanced levels, and produced original works across multiple formats throughout her life. Her watercolors reflect her formal training: layered washes, confident draftsmanship, and a lively handling of subject matter that keeps her work from feeling merely decorative.

CONDITION

Very good. Age toning is present across the background and minor foxing spots appear concentrated in the lower register, consistent with the medium and era. The gilt frame shows light surface wear; no cracking or image loss visible.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall (framed): 19½" H × 15½" W × 1" D
• Visible image: 17½" H × 13½" W
• Medium: Watercolor on paper
• Frame: Stepped gilt wood, glazed front, felt-backed reverse
• Signature: "DeGe McCoy," lower right, green pigment