A Sneak Peek at "Crow's Claw"

This will be my effort toward the 50th international print exchange by Barenforum.org

• Medium: Woodblock print (I'll be using shina wood and watercolor on washi)
• Theme: Open-Celebrate the 50th Baren Exchange with whatever image you choose to create!
• Paper: 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches (This is a standard artist trading card size)
• Paper type: No restriction (I'll be using Kozoshi)

The Baren Forum is a place where anyone with an interest in the fascinating world of woodblock printmaking is welcome. Its main purpose is to encourage a flow of information among printmakers, to allow them to share their knowledge and experience, and to provide a place where they can get to know each other.

Think of [Baren] as being a 'convention of woodblock printmakers–but a convention with a difference: held in cyberspace and thus easily accessible to all, and with never a closing speech to signify that it is time for all the participants to end the discussions and go home.

Come join us! 

Injured Crow

Crow, originally uploaded by pejnolan.

As I walked outside this morning to go to work, I spotted a crow on the ground huddled against the electric pole. It was odd, so I grabbed my camera to take a photo and saw the poor thing had a dislocated shoulder and broken wing.

The closer I got, the more nervous it became. It hopped to the other side of the street. So, I went inside and grabbed a towel and a sturdy box. I herded it into a corner, threw the towel over it and gently placed it in the box.

My intention was to take it to Wild Tails, a humane wildlife rehabilitation center, but when I arrived, I found out that they are only open during 'baby season" which is May - June. They offered to call Oaken Acres, another wildlife rehabilitation center, to see if they would accept it.

I was already a half hour late to work. I hadn't called in plus I couldn't find my phone this morning (I later found it in my coat pocket, but that is another story.) I didn't really have time to drive to another facility, So TAILS was kind enough to take the bird just until a person from Oaken Acres could come to pick it up.

I just couldn't let the thing be eaten by Bob, the neighborhood stray cat. I knew I had frightened and stressed the bird, but I knew it would be safe inside that box. I couldn't stand the thought of it being ripped to shreds if I left it there alone. When I placed it inside the container, I saw its eyes.

Normally I think of crows as loud, aggressive scavengers; but in this bird's eyes I saw a gentleness. It had allowed me to capture it without any struggle. Had it given up or did it know of my altruistic intentions? As I stared at it, it blinked one eye, then the other. It didn't seem frightened anymore. We trusted one another.

On the drive over to TAILS it started tapping loudly on the sides of the box. I figure if it felt good enough to do that, it just might make it. I said to it, "You better not get out of that box Mr. Crow! You just be quiet now!" The bird settled down once again.

I sincerely hope that it made it through the day and that it is safe. Even if it didn't, at the very least it would have passed away quietly without fear.

After all, a life is a life, no matter how small.