Sunday 17 July 2011

CAW!!

I have several sayings that I trot out for my classes, one being that 'ink is infectious', the other is that 'I don't get out enough' when I get excited about a luscious ink mark while printmaking!
Well my lovely friend Lesley (Printed Material) took me out for an airing yesterday to meet the very generous, Martin and Lorrie who supply the Tower of London with ravens.

Meet Marley. This is a real privilege to get this close to the king of the corvids.

And although he gave the impression he was friendly letting Lorrie scratch his head and feed him grapes,

he was just waiting to lull an easily impressed human stranger close to that beak. He tolerated my presence, letting me get close enough to take these pictures, but his intelligence gives him the capacity to trick and tease. I now have the most fantastic resource materials for some new work.

But not only were there the delights and thrills of the ravens, but Lorrie and Martin have a passion for all things wild life. This barn owl chick will be raised by hand

as is this kookaburra. A morning of natural delights, I am so grateful to Lesley, her cousin John who organised the trip and Martin and Lorrie who tolerated my gasps of delight.











6 comments:

Bridget Farmer said...

Hi Sue, wow this looks an amazing trip. Im quite jealous!

Sara Bowen said...

Goodness me, where did they find the Kookaburra? Not something you expect to find around your part of the world! It looks as if you had lots of fun - what great friends you have, and what an amazing trip!

menopausalmusing said...

How utterley amazing! I thought of you two on your jolly yesterday and as we went over the bridge to Wales I told my other half what you would be doing. I remember seeing the ravens at the Tower of London as a child and the saying that when the ravens go, to Kingdom will crumble. I also would love the know the story behind the Kookaburra.

Jane said...

How fabulous. There are supposed to be Ravens on the Malvern Hills but I've never been lucky enough to see one.

Sharmon Davidson said...

Thanks for sharing your fantastic trip; I love birds of kinds, but especially corvids, which tend to show up often in my work. Marley is quite beautiful. I had no idea someone supplied the tower of London with ravens... well, you learn something every day day, right?

Joanna said...

Look at the intelligence in Marley's eyes. I read somewhere that ravens have a lifespan of 30-40 years, which amazed me.

You lucky girl, what a super day you had. And yes, a kookaburra?!