Do YOUR Thing (Raven Piece)

OK, so here's the art piece I teased you with a few days ago.  I made this a few years ago for my husband, David, who likes crows and ravens.  I found a wood plank and painted and glazed over it until it had the look I wanted.  I collaged on torn bits of dictionary pages and other scraps, along with some cheesecloth, then lightly painted over them.

On a Home Depot trip I had bought a few metal brackets that I called "label holders".  My husband laughed and told me what they really were, but I forgot what their "real" name and purpose is...and I really don't care ; )  To me they are perfect to pound into wood, then slather with paint, to become a nice base for a pretty label with a handwritten message on it....don't you agree? (below)















My husband is a writer (and High School English teacher), so I wrote "Write that which ONLY YOU can write".  I also wrote "The Raven" lightly on the background above the label, because David loves that poem by Edgar Allen Poe, so I wanted him to think of it for inspiration...only Poe could write The Raven as he did.  I really believe that we are ALL unique and have a "special something" that only we can do, in our own little way.  We just need to find it and refine it, whether it be art, writing, dancing, teaching, etc..  Martha Graham said it wonderfully.......


"You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost." 
— Martha Graham

I drew out the bird onto black construction paper with a white charcoal pencil, and cut it out and glued it on.  The eye is a small rusty washer.  I drew swirls and other doodles all over the background with both white and black charcoal pencils then sprayed it with a sealer.

I found a small twig and I wrapped the ends with little strips of dictionary pages to create little "buds of inspiration", just waiting to bloom (and I thought the dictionary pages were perfect for this since David loves words ...and dictionaries).   I wrapped the base with a bit of cheesecloth and copper wire.

I pounded in three copper tacks and used the top on to hang the "quill", which is just a crow feather wrapped with a bit of cheesecloth and copper wire.

So just a reminder...don't forget to water YOUR inspiration buds, and watch them grow and bloom!