Fogo Island Ravens 2025

18 x 32 in

acrylic on masonite

Ravens are remarkable birds, possessing almost unmatched levels of intelligence and comprehension amongst birds. Here on the windswept sub-arctic landscape of Fogo Island, they are intimately familiar with the features of the land they traverse daily, using mental maps to help guide them in their travels. Such memories, recognition of individualities (both within their species and intra-specific), cooperative, resourceful, imaginative, to me, seem a fitting metaphor for people who live on islands, for they embody the skill set required to thrive in what others would consider a challenging environment. Indeed, I think when one considers all the places in the northern hemisphere that make life difficult for humans to thrive, there are Ravens there already, and in each of those locations, the culture has a particular set of legends about humans and Ravens interacting with each other.