Thursday, June 16, 2011

Ode To Crow




... My   Most   Favourite  of   BIRDS...

...may you live very, very, very long.


...this is a 4" x 6"  picture of a card  I made  and sent to a special friend... 
pen, ink and watercolor...

Just for fun, here are some of my past Art Crows... all clickable...


The Beloved Scavenger



The Watchful Crow



.

25 comments:

Guillaume said...

Oh I LOVE crows! Great picture you made, I wish I could put it on a wall here.

Guillaume said...

Oh, and this nursery rhyme was originally about magpies. I blogged about a nursery rhyme recently (Orange and lemon, say the bells of St Clement) and about magpies too.

helen said...

We love crows too...and one of their caw sounds is just like my husbands name....mark mark mark. We often say....they're calling you :~)He loves it. This card is gorgeous and thank you for the links to the other paintings and stories...you are so gifted Gwen...it is a delight to visit.

Shelley said...

Yes, you do love crows so true. Love this design my Seaside Friend. Thank you for sharing.........looking forward to a 'tea visit' soon.

Penny said...

Do so love those crows, I remember the nursery rhyme, but about magpies, not sure if mine is quite the same. Here in Oz you either like or hate crows, sheep farmers dont like them at all but I have had a succesion of families who come back from the days when I rescued a young one that had blown from a nest and reared it.

Owen said...

Beautiful, it is really something to crow about... I love the lettering as well as the crows. A lucky friend then who got this in the mail...

Although I hope it got delivered before the mails shut and locked their doors ! And hopefully it didn't have to go to center city Vancouver. Sheesh, what's up with Canada these days ? Getting on the international news twice in the same week... highly unusual...
Be well...

mycuriousteaparty said...

Over here the same poem is told with Magpies.... There was even a childrens show during the 7o's with the poem sung as the theme tune....

Love your crow's your friend must be very special..... My favorite is 'The Beloved Scavenger' I love torn paper..

The Gallery is looking amazing, and the new work on the side of the building is very special... Hope all is going well ~ Julie

If you have time, please show us more of the insides... I love to see these photographic updates.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Guillaume, Crows are great aren't they.. and all members of the Corvus family.. so intelligent.. they can even make tools.. prob. survive when the human race is gone...

Helen, calling your husband's name .. ahhh, I love that.... reminds me of something different but similiar.. I have always wondered what a repetitive cawing squeaking noise was at a particular time of day... mostly sunny days... I would say to John or anyone within earshot.. "Listen there's that bird call again.. what is it?" ... after a summer I finally discovered it.. what I thought was rhythmic crow cawing turned out to be the neighbors bringing in the clothes on a creaky clothesline.. Everytime I hear it now, I laugh.

Yes Shelley, Tea-Time is way past due.. maybe this time we can sit outside in the sunshine...

Penny, yes the same is here.. some people can't understand why anyone would love a crow.. they don't know what they are missing... You have done what I always wished... raised a crow.. Maybe someday I will still have the opportunity... I wish...

Owen, aren't you cute! oh this was sent a few months ago, but there sure is a problem with mail service at the moment..like there being none!... hopefully it will be back to normal(whatever that is) next week.. .. and am I ever glad I don't follow hockey.. which is a crazy mania of some folks... I guess we all have our own manias!!

Thanks Julie, I need a few more shots of the inside once we stop changing things around.. but that will prob. be ongoing so I should just post some ... if we could stop being distracted by having several projects going on at the same time.. but you know about distracted artists minds.. can't not follow up a good(??) idea.. ...

A Heron's View said...

In Irish Celtic mythology and lore birds were symbols of freedom and transcendence, having the ability to soar beyond the earth and return bringing messages from our gods.

The first thought that came to me when I saw your illustration was that it would be wonderful if it were printed in panels on bed cover and of what dreams it would bring.

Gwen Buchanan said...

What a wonderful imagination you have Heron's View..
...night-covers, crows and dreams.. oh now how can I go back and do my daily labors with this inspiration! Textiles were my first creative outlet. Thank you!

rachel said...

Crows, rooks, you have to love 'em. Yours are beautiful.

Have you read this book, serialised on Radio 4 a while back? Wonderful, entrancing.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corvus-Life-Birds-Esther-Woolfson/dp/1847080294

Seth said...

What a great collection of crows Gwen. They all seem to have their own personalities! Love them!

Laura J. Wellner (author pseudonym Laura J. W. Ryan) said...

This is a sweet piece, and I adore crows (our pine trees have been a nursery again this year for our crow family!)

laura said...

Love it, Gwen. A couple of crows have recently taken up residence near my house--I think they like my birdbath. Hoping to get some chances to study, and draw, them.

sandy said...

i've always enjoyed seeing your crow art. i love this.

The Crow said...

SQWAAAAWK!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks for the book Link, Rachel.. I'll see if the Radio 4 serial is still available and if it can be listened to in Canada..... I saw a documentary early this year on PBS about how crows can identify human faces and relate this info to other crows about whether they were good folks or folks to stay away from by the experiences they had with them.. Just like us humans!

Hi Seth, There was a major gathering the other night in the trees by the house of a huge murder of crows when they were readying for their nightly roost ... they were hard to count so I took a picture and blew it up on my computer... over 100 of them, big, small, all sizes.. they were cawing so loudly and swirling and diving round and round like a rain cloud.. I took a video of them too so I could remember the noise.. Wish I could translate what they were saying.

Thank you Laura J W, Don't you love it when they feel secure enough to live close with their babies... in my yard when the elderberries are ready there will be 5 or 6 young directed by the parents in the small bushes clearing off the fruit.. I love that.

Oh Laura, to see them in the birdbath must be such a treat.. we have a couple pairs of song sparrows who bath daily around dusk in the front garden.. but watching Crows bath and splash must be wonderful!!

Sandy I really appreciate it. Thanks!

Hi Crow!!! Good to hear from you.

Leanne Pizio said...

beautiful! all!

simply blue said...

Crows are rather intriguing birds...how nice for your friend to get that wonderful card in the mail!

Carol Steel said...

Hi Gwen,
Thank you for sharing a love of crows. I too find them fascinating and magical. I've written two blog entries about the crows at our home; one June 26 and one today, July 1 at http://carolsteel5050.blogspot.com

In today's blog, I referenced your "Ode to Crow." I love what you write and your art. Thank you for being who you are in this world; makes it a better place. Carol

Deborah Carr said...

Hi Gwen! I, too, saw that special on crows, which completely delighted me. We've had a family of them here for several years...I so enjoy their antics and cleverness. And the iridescent gloss of their wings.

Still waiting for a chance to get to St. Martins for a visit.

Francine said...

Just found you and will have to find you at St. Martins...as I live in Sussex. I love crows too as I do all birds. I love your jewelry too!

Enjoyed your blog. You can see some of my art (if interested) at http://fh-art.net :-)

Gwen Buchanan said...

Hi everybody, Been so busy round here I haven't had much time to spend on blogland. We are getting our home ready to sell... no, not moving away.. love it here too much for that... hoping to build again on adjoining acres as the creative urge never quits.

Thanks all, for stopping by... I appreciate you all.

Jody said...

your crow art is amazing. it makes for lovable birds!

Jacky said...

I love your crows and I often recite that rhyme...count the birds, ever since childhood.

I didnt know about 8,9 and 10 though.

Your new gallery looks fantastic and I love your painting on the side!

Jacky xox