I have a confession: I’m a little obsessed with crows.

Their intelligence, their social behaviour, the way they seem to watch you right back — and those feathers. That deep, shimmery black that’s never quite just black. I find them endlessly fascinating, and lately, endlessly paintable.

“Shared Silence” is the latest result of that obsession. It’s a 40×40 cm mixed media painting on deep canvas — two crows, side by side, on a rich layered pink background.

The Process

I started (as I so often do) with a neon pink background. It sounds wild, but that bright underpainting adds warmth and energy to every layer that comes on top of it.

From there: mark making, texture, and collage using pieces torn from my own gelli prints. I built up several colour layers to create a background that feels deep and alive — that final soft pink didn’t come from one coat, but from many.

The crows themselves emerged gradually. Charcoal for structure and shadow. Acrylic for form and depth. And right at the end — my favourite part — Neocolor II pastels by Caran d’Ache and Sennelier oil pastels for the final surface and shimmer.

I always leave the pastels for last. They’re not compatible with acrylic layers going on top, so they stay as the finishing touch.

The whole painting took around two hours of active work — not counting the drying time, and not counting the staring. (There was a lot of staring.)

About the Canvas

I always work on deep canvas, and I always paint the sides. That means “Shared Silence” is ready to hang directly on the wall — no frame needed.

What’s next

I’ll be honest: this is not the last crow. Another painting is already underway — and yes, it’ll be a video too.

You can watch the full painting process on my YouTube channel.