This painting is the 5th painting in a series inspired by Native American legends. These works bring me back to my illustration roots. I love painting the visual imagery of a colorful narrative. Native American legends are colorful and full of life and the natural world. I paint these uniformly: all are the 36x24 and all are painted on Yupo mounted to gatorboard. I love indulging my love of detail and "close work." The legend that inspired this painting is retold below:
Why Raven Is Black
No one really knows how Raven came to bring light to the world, but there are many tales. This tale begins at the beginning, when Raven was snow white and beautiful to behold, soaring through the pitch black world. In spite of Raven's striking beauty, he was a very clever Trickster, always scheming to dupe those creatures more dull-witted than he.
Someone told him of a giant who lived up the river who hoarded all of the world's light for himself. Raven thought and thought and finally came up with a plan. He turned himself into a baby and the giant and his family took him into their cedar house and grew fond of him. One day Raven discovered where the giant had hidden the light. It was in bundle hung on the wall at the back of the longhouse.
Raven Baby began crying inconsolably and pointing at the bundle. The giant grew impatient with the fussing and finally said, "Take the bag off its hook and let the baby have it!" So Raven rolled around on the floor beneath the smoke hole and pretended to play with the the bundle for a while. Soon, when everyone had grown peaceful again and gone back to what they were doing, Raven let the light out of the bag. The great column of light rushed up through the smoke hole and illuminated the world that had been dark for eons.
"Wha....?!?" said the giant. "Gah!" said Raven.
As soon as the light had been released into the world, Raven was revealed to the giant and his family. They were furious at having been deceived and all rushed toward Raven. Raven flew as fast as he could up through the smoke hole, but the giant grabbed his leg as he was escaping. Raven struggled and struggled and finally managed to break free and fly up through the smoke hole.
When Raven looked down at himself, he saw that he was no longer white, but as black as cinder, smoke, and ash. "Gah!" said Raven. And then he laughed and laughed and followed the light into the sky.
Prints are available. Originals will be for sale when I finish the series.
This painting is the 5th painting in a series inspired by Native American legends. These works bring me back to my illustration roots. I love painting the visual imagery of a colorful narrative. Native American legends are colorful and full of life and the natural world. I paint these uniformly: all are the 36x24 and all are painted on Yupo mounted to gatorboard. I love indulging my love of detail and "close work." The legend that inspired this painting is retold below:
Why Raven Is Black
No one really knows how Raven came to bring light to the world, but there are many tales. This tale begins at the beginning, when Raven was snow white and beautiful to behold, soaring through the pitch black world. In spite of Raven's striking beauty, he was a very clever Trickster, always scheming to dupe those creatures more dull-witted than he.
Someone told him of a giant who lived up the river who hoarded all of the world's light for himself. Raven thought and thought and finally came up with a plan. He turned himself into a baby and the giant and his family took him into their cedar house and grew fond of him. One day Raven discovered where the giant had hidden the light. It was in bundle hung on the wall at the back of the longhouse.
Raven Baby began crying inconsolably and pointing at the bundle. The giant grew impatient with the fussing and finally said, "Take the bag off its hook and let the baby have it!" So Raven rolled around on the floor beneath the smoke hole and pretended to play with the the bundle for a while. Soon, when everyone had grown peaceful again and gone back to what they were doing, Raven let the light out of the bag. The great column of light rushed up through the smoke hole and illuminated the world that had been dark for eons.
"Wha....?!?" said the giant. "Gah!" said Raven.
As soon as the light had been released into the world, Raven was revealed to the giant and his family. They were furious at having been deceived and all rushed toward Raven. Raven flew as fast as he could up through the smoke hole, but the giant grabbed his leg as he was escaping. Raven struggled and struggled and finally managed to break free and fly up through the smoke hole.
When Raven looked down at himself, he saw that he was no longer white, but as black as cinder, smoke, and ash. "Gah!" said Raven. And then he laughed and laughed and followed the light into the sky.
Prints are available. Originals will be for sale when I finish the series.