A local group, “Art as Antibodies” asked for pieces about how we’re coping with the Covid lockdown. I sent a painting of the wide and windy desert, which is how—and where—I cope. Not covidy enough, they said. So I sent a corvid.
Slot canyons are spooky, mysterious, intimate. Ravens nest along the rim. When you emerge from the dark strictures of a slot canyon you feel reborn.
WORLD-BUILDING and WILDERNESS: 
Beautiful. Thanks.
Phillis
Xoxoxo Phillis!
Love this, Betsy, and I am a big fan of corvids too. Living in England, I have only just sorted out my crows (caw, caw, and solitary) from my jackdaws (chattery and social), and my rooks (solitary and strangely upright) from my ravens (enormous!). The latter visit our garden and the local cats are scared of them. Quite rightly.
Love your corvid classification system! Here in NM, ours is crows (urban, caw caw, smaller, football-crowd sociable) and ravens (wildlands, gronk clonk croak gurgle caw, enormous, solitary except when they’re a gang having a great time). No jackdaws, no rooks except in chess.
Ravens can fold up their wings and fly upside down! I have my application in to be a desert raven in my next life.
I like the painting and concept, but maybe should be twa corvids.
On Mon, Apr 27, 2020 at 8:48 AM WORLD-BUILDING and WILDERNESS: wrote:
> Betsy James posted: ” A local group, “Art as Antibodies” asked for pieces > about how we’re coping with the Covid lockdown. I sent a painting of the > wide and windy desert, which is how—and where—I cope. Not covidy > enough, they said. So I sent a corvid. Slot canyons a” >