This morning I woke up hearing crows out my window. I know they’re loud, but they are so much more than just their volume. I’ve been interested in crows ever since I saw this remarkable PBS documentary.

CLICK HERE: A Murder of Crows PBS video

Crows are highly intelligent, social and community oriented.

Really, they are way cooler than you think.

You just might see crows differently if you learn more about them.

I certainly did.

I remembered an old painting of mine tucked behind paint cans in my basement. Here’s the original painting that was the basis for the other images.

“A Murder of Crows” 3′ x 3′, acrylic, 2010

Here’s what I created from the original painting:

Live Science CROW FACTS LINK

“Crows are extremely intelligent birds. They are known for their problem-solving skills and amazing communication skills. For example, when a crow encounters a mean human, it will teach other crows how to identify the human. In fact, research shows that crows don’t forget a face.

Many types of crows are solitary, but they will often forage in groups. Others stay in large groups. A group of crows is called a murder. Murders of crows will ban together and chase predators in a behavior called mobbing. With some crow species, the yearlings and non-mating adults live in a group called a roosting community.”

“It’s not where you take things from — it’s where you take them to.”   —Jean-Luc Godard   

Below are the other images I worked with. I took the photograph of Elizabeth Bunsen’s ecodyeing work. The painting was inspired by seeing sections of land when I fly home to South Dakota.

I love to layer and play with my photographs to create different worlds. I’m finding myself thinking/seeing in a very different way while I’m creating this digital collage work.