A Murder of Crows

     I'm back!!! So sorry to those who follow me, it's been a busy stretch. Things have been happening on all fronts, the garden's blooming, the family is traveling, creative projects are percolating,.. I am suffering from "Summer scatterbrain"". It always seems so hard to focus when everyone is bustling around me in summer mode.

     In my last blog I had begun to experiment with the addition of lilies in my hand made paper. It piqued an interest in workshops as well as venues who would like to have quantities to sell.
      As well, I have a patron who enjoys crows as a subject of composition for some paintings and drawings and sculpture. My eldest son, Matt's very significant other found the request on a Sales/Swap site. Swantje brought it very quickly to my attention as I had sold four pieces last summer with crows as the subject at a unique little cafe/giftshop whimsically named "The Tourist Trap". Again I grieve the fact that I did not keep photos of theses pieces, Though I still have one piece, more "illustration than art", from last summer, today I am able include a few sketches that I've completed recently
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       Crows are fascinating, intelligent, unassuming and familiar fixtures in our lives. Every geographical region of the globe, with the exception of Antarctica, has a representative from this ancient avian family. They've been represented as villains, thieves and harbingers of doom in literature, cinema, art and caricature. Poe's "The Raven". Hitchcock's "The Birds", even Terrytoons'  "Heckle and Jeckle", all clearly up to no good! But there is much to be said for these tenacious amazing birds. There  is also much to learn.
       I have a lovely aunt who is also an artist. She is 88 and still painting.  She has written a storybook about crows, but though she is an amazing artist, masterful with color, she has always encouraged me and said my drawing talent exceeded hers. She wants me to illustrate her story and I am honored. I cannot wait to get my hands on those pages.

      So, For the moment, the new craze is "Crows"...I will post new works as I complete them and I'll do my homework so I can refer you to anecdotes and adages and anthologies about these feathered friends. In the mean time check out David Suzuki's "The Nature of Things" from September 2011 -"A Murder of Crows" and be amazed!