Sandhill Cranes Original

Birds are animals that for a long time, I felt intimidated to paint. Up until this painting, over 10 years, I had painted two birds: a commission robin, as well as a rocking Himalayan Monal (look them up and you’ll 100% understand why they are my vibe.) The painting of Sandhill Cranes is on one of my largest canvases, 5' x 6'.

For years, I had been looking at this blank canvas, wondering what to paint. And I honestly don’t know why I decided to paint an animal that I had so rarely practiced, on this large of a scale. When I started the painting, I was working with ink (which I love.)

The sketch was okay, but when the ink layer hit, I was absolutely hating the painting. This happens sometimes, but not often, when I feel such a strong dislike of the process and what I was painting. However.... The oil bars changed everything. And the colorway of the olive and burnt orange isn’t a common one for me but made this painting SOAR. When I started working with the oils, they loosened up the style of the cranes, the chaos of the flock, movement of taking flight, and created the balance of impressionism with still knowing what the painting is.

The underlying theme of the painting is multiple discovery. Ideas, inspiration, and inventions are floating along, waiting for an open collaborator to partner with. This painting is special because I don’t think I chose to paint the cranes, but rather, they chose to be painted by me. 

Please note if your purchase this painting, it will be delivered via art delivery service due to it's scale. The delivery timeline is typically between 3-5 weeks, Tessa will email you details.