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Inspired by the white crows of Vancouver, British Columbia. This abstract bird painting asks the question - is the white crow a sign of the end of life on earth, or the beginning of a new consciousness? Or both?

As I was painting, I listened to the R.E.M. song, "It's the End of the World As We Know It" and tried to keep my mind open to the exploration of the rather abstract idea of the end of a way of life and the beginning of a new way. This painting is different than the last three that I've done, in that I started with a fresh canvas. I wanted to see if I could translate the loose, "devil may care" attitude I have when painting over something I've already let go of in my mind.

The trap I tried to be mindful of was becoming too literal in my interpretation of the concept. I purposely avoided turning shapes into "things" and just concentrated on creating an overall design and emotion. When I stepped back to check on my progress I was surprised to see the large crow shape on the left and the small crow shape to its upper right. These shapes are places where the canvas is showing through (not white paint.) It took just a few quick strokes on the larger shape to finish, put the brush down and walk away.