Painting > Wise Guys

Landing
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 24 inches
2010
Strutter 2009
acrylic on paper
52 x 35 cm
2009
Untitled
mixed media on paper
35 x 25 cm
2009
Flight
Mixed media on mylar
91.5 x 61 cm
2009
Scruffy
mixed media on mylar
91.5 x 61 cm
2009
Unconcerned
Mixed media on mylar
91.5 x 61 cm
2009
Rose Crow
Mixed media on mylar
76 x 56
2009
Perch
mixed media on mylar
89 x 61 cm
2009
Blue Crow
Mixed media on mylar
76 x 56
2009
Ghost
Mixed media on mylar
89 x 61 cm
2009
Confrontation
Mixed media on mylar
79 x 61 cm
2009
Untitled
Mixed media on mylar
89 x 61 cm
2009

For years I’ve been fascinated by corvids. My grandfather had a tame raven which he could feed by hand but who remained in the wild, coming and going as he pleased, and opportunistically staying close by to lend his awe-inspiring presence to us mere humans whenever he chose. He looked enormous to me and somehow, even though I was just a child, he embodied everything that was beautiful, mysterious, noble and intelligent. And most of all, he was free.
In the winter of 2007, I started drawing and painting crows, trying to capture the essence of their body language and their sharp, knowing gaze. Crows are everywhere but are as illusive as dreams – they let you get just so close and they lift off, trailing their big feet, their powerful wings bearing them up and away. I watched them, studied them, admired them, drew them, painted them. The more I looked, the more I saw. This body of work, is a result of my obsession with these wonderful beings, who are ubiquitous in our environment, and yet remain wary and watchful as if they are sizing us up and finding us unworthy.