The Curious Case of the King of the Crows

Some react to his jaunty crown, or the enigmatic rune (which means absolutely nothing. I made it up entirely).

For whatever reason, this painting elicits the greatest emotional response of anything I’ve ever painted. Hands down.

But the funny thing is, I painted it on a whim.

In less than an hour.

Inspiration Glides in on Ebon Wings

I was set up in the backyard of a small cabin in the woods, working on a different painting. I can’t even remember which painting it was, to be honest.

When I got to a point where I needed to let that painting dry, I decided to keep the party going by slapping down some black India ink on an old canvas that I had previously painted tan for some reason.

The tan paint was leftover from helping my BFF paint his new condo. As was the orange of the setting sun.

Pardon the pun, but this magical corvid flew out of me in a subconscious burst, taking full feathery form —  like I said — in less than an hour.

I posted a picture on my personal Facebook page and one of my friends snapped it up immediately. Luckily I was able to get a good photo of it first!

What Did I Learn From All of This?

Painting from the heart (or intuition) is the key to success. This painting had no agenda (or planning, for that matter). I wasn’t trying to produce something that I hope-hope-hoped would get a million likes on Insta or would sell a bunch of merchandise.

I just picked up a brush and some hand-me-down paint and made a silly bird that people wound up loving.

Paint for yourself and the right audience will find you.

Speaking of audiences, have you checked out my YouTube channel?

Title: King of the Corvids
Medium: India Ink, Acrylic, & House Paint on Stretched Canvas
Year: 2015