Carrion Crow

Description

Carrion Crow at Graves Park, Sheffield

Carrion crows are one of the most intelligent animals in the UK. Research has shown they can use tools to retrieve food, recognise and remember individual human faces, and hold grudges against people who have wronged them — sometimes passing that information on to their offspring. They have also demonstrated metacognition: the ability to reflect on their own mental processes, which puts them in very limited company across the animal kingdom.

At first glance, crows appear straightforwardly black, but there is significant iridescent colour in the feathers — blues, greens, and purples that become visible in the right light.

At Graves Park

I spotted this crow perched in a tree at Graves Park in Sheffield in summer 2025. Nothing remarkable — it was just in a good position and the light was right. Graves Park is one of Sheffield’s largest public parks and a reliable spot for urban wildlife throughout the year, including corvids, nuthatches, and parakeets.

The Painting Process

Working in my Sheffield home studio, I completed this piece in a single painting session using oils on a 6 × 6 inch Ampersand Gessobord panel. The challenge with a dark-plumaged bird is finding the colour within what looks like flat black — crows have a glossy, almost metallic quality to the feathers.

Framed or Unframed

Choose the framed option and it arrives ready to hang. The frame is natural ayous, a pale, lightweight hardwood, with a 7mm face and 21mm depth. The panel sits inside it with a 5mm gap all round, so the painted edge of the panel stays visible and the picture appears to float inside the frame rather than sitting against it. A flush mount is already fitted to the back for hanging.

If you would rather choose your own frame, you can buy it unframed. For advice please refer to How to Frame a Painting on a Panel.

Original Artwork Details

Specifications:

• Medium: Oil on gessobord panel
• Size: 6 × 6 inches (~ 15 × 15 cm)
• Depth: 0.3 cm (~ 1/8 inch)
• Available framed or unframed
• Framed size: approximately 17.6 × 17.6 cm (~ 7 × 7 inches)
• Frame: natural ayous, 7mm face, 21mm depth, 5mm float gap, flush mount fitted
• Year: 2025
• Signed on reverse

Shipping & Care

Your painting will be carefully packaged with protective materials and shipped via Royal Mail within 3-5 business days. The panel is robust and archival – oil paintings on panel have been proven to last for centuries when properly cared for. Display away from direct sunlight and extreme humidity for best longevity.