Wild Things Artwork
by Patsy Lindamood

"Crane's Eye View" is a 12" H x 18" W colored pencil with gouache painting. This work can also be viewed at the Colored Pencil Society of America's web site as part of the Explore This! 6 online exhibition, where it has received one of the top awards for the exhibition.

The Sandhill Crane was featured in one of my earlier pastel pieces where I portrayed several cranes in their environment, together with several wading birds. When I was shooting my references for that former piece, I took a number of closeup pictures of the sandhills, so that I would have strong technical references for their anatomy. The composition in one photo, though, a close-up profile of a crane, just ignited my creative juices.

For me, this glimpse of profile presents an iconic view that anyone with any familiarity of the bird will readily recognize as a Sandhill. The painting is clearly representational, yet the close-in crop gives the painting a certain edginess. For me, the focus is that eye, that penetrating eye!