“Even the blackest of them all, the crow,
Renders good service as your man-at-arms,
Crushing the beetle in his coat of mail,
And crying havoc on the slug and snail.- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Pilot Fineliner Black Ink sketch and watercolour in Moleskine 200gsm Watercolour Sketchbook
Black Crow – Corvus capensis. Found: Africa
Ample press is given to charismatic animals such as dolphins, chimps and the like, but few, when talking of intelligent beings, think to mention the crow or raven. It is, however, easy to understand the natural aversions some people have towards these birds: They’re lacking in any type of floral-like beauty; they have a cacophonous and sometimes incessant caw, and are cunning thieves to boot.
But if you look closer, and get to know these beautiful birds on a more intimate level, you will see not just see ‘plain black’ feathers, but beautiful iridescent colours of purple, blue, green and brown. And discover a great intelligence, and even a sense of humour, not normally associated with birds.
They are smart, ingenious, protective, adventurous, and full of engaging play; I recall my 27yr-old crow, Coco, watching intently as I planted my pansy seedlings, only to up-root them the minute I turned my back, cawing in laughter as she fled my mock chase!
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My favorite bird. Glad to see someone shares my love for the crow. Beautifully executed. You really captured that sheen on the feathers.
ReplyDeleteAaaah, wonderful to meet another Corvid-lover E.M.! Thanks a lot, glad you like it!
DeleteMaree, what a beautiful painting! So lifelike. Your comments and observations are also wonderful. Wow, 22 years is a long time. I had no idea they lived that long.
ReplyDeleteThanks ever so much Teri! I don't think they get that old in the wild, a safe environment in captivity goes a long way to longevity!
DeleteMaree, he's beautiful...looks so shiny and iridescent!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kate! When you see them close-up, in the sun, it is NOTHING like the crow one sees from afar, they really do have the most gorgeous plumage!
DeleteBy the way, my dad had a pet crow when he was a kid, so I've heard wonderful stories...I love adding yours to my store.
ReplyDeleteThey do make wonderful pets Kate. And so we spread the wonderful word about them and try and eradicate all the dark myths and lore!
DeleteOkay, okay...you've made a convert of me Maree. I'm now officially a crow lover. Just don't tell my Mom. She grew up on a farm where crows were the bane of their existence. Beautiful sketch, as usual.
ReplyDeleteSmile! Great news Paula! If ever you're also lucky enough to have one in your life, you will really understand the wonder of these lovely birds!
DeleteAll the corvids are wonderful. I've watched a raven sneak up behind a wolf in order to tweak the wolf's tail .... and fussed through the bother when my pet crow stole the house key we were dumb enough to set out for friends that were coming. The friends had to wait for us to arrive and the key stayed hidden by Jasper for several weeks .... until Dale found Jasper's cache of goodies.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds SO familiar Elva! Can't tell you how many times we searched for things until we learnt to live with the fact that everything has to be put away (or hidden!) properly!
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