It’s not unusual in my art practice to have things take unexpected twists. So, I really haven’t fought the introduction of crows into my tree paintings. Crows are something very much of home for me, and connecting to them within my art seems natural.
But, attracting crows isn’t the same as attracting most other birds. While a blue jay or a sparrow will come when you put out birdseed, a crow or raven will only come when there is raw meat to be had. So, when I saw a dead rabbit on the side of the road I stopped, picked it up, and moved it outside our house. It didn’t take long, but the time I had the camera set up, my first crow had arrived.
This turned out to be another educational opportunity for me. Get the quick crow to be clear and focused on a cloudy day proved a real challenge. Over the past couple of days I have shot hundreds of crows, and the results are getting better and better. And, at this point, I have enough photos that I can ignore the caw of the crow outside my house demanding something to eat, and begin to focus on my drawings.