Thought & Memory

Thought & Memory
8.5 x 10 inches
India ink and white pencil on Bristol board


When Chad and I went to the Grand Canyon a couple of years ago, we were met by a pair of intently watchful birds. At first we thought they were crows, owing to their size.  But unlike crows, these corvids had feathery tufts on their beaks and didn't "caw" -- choosing instead to make deep croaking sounds as they hopped from tree to tree. What could they be? We'd come across ravens before, but these were slimmer, smaller; almost petite.  Turns out they were western ravens, (Corvus corax sinuatus) which inhabit much of the American Southwest, but are especially common in the Grand Canyon or any location where tourist handouts can be found.

I finished the above raven illustration today; it was an experiment that combined both India ink and white pencil.  What sort of pen did I use? Why, a crow quill pen, of course. ;)