“Crow in the mist” by Hilary J. England, 12” x 16” oil on canvas
I was out walking along in the cold damp fog the day before the big snow, and I came upon this solitary crow sitting quietly on the railing — this bird looked so curious and peaceful, I was curious about it and watched it for a bit before it flew off. I had been feeling very disengaged lately, with the solitude and isolation of the past 9 months starting to creep into my psyche. I’m a solitary person by nature, but the rest of the world being solitary for so long is disconcerting after a while, even to solitary people like me.
Then I saw this crow — large, calm and peaceful, just on the rails ahead of me. I stopped a little distance from it, not wanting to disturb it. The bird sat very quietly, almost contemplatively, in the heavy mist of the day. It made me think of how so many other creatures endure the solitude of their own existences as well — and how outside of the kingdom of humans, that doesn’t seem to be an unusual thing. I thought, if the crow can sit at peace by itself, for long stretches of time, so can I as a human. That thought gave me a measure of peace as I walked along, after the bird had flown to it’s unknown destination.
So, I went back to the quiet of my studio and thought of this bird, and remembered the feel of the fog, and the mist that gently would touch my skin, and just the quiet peace of that moment in the day, and created this painting.
~enjoy
“Crow in the mist” oil on canvas, 12” x 16”
