I was in the car with the kids on a long drive the other month, and we were chatting about random things, when we saw a crow on the side of the road and started making up stories about his life – a name, hobbies, what he did in his spare time…and it struck me, like a flash of lightning I could see what he looked like in my mind’s eye, and Earnest the Crow was born. I started sketching out ideas for how he would look – and this time it wasn’t in a book – it was on canvas. I faffed and fiddled and then finally figured out what I wanted to do and created a miniature version in my art journal. When I was ready, I ordered the canvas and got to work. It was so fun and terrifying to create something out of my comfort zone.
I won’t lie though, I am so thrilled about how Earnest came out, so much so, that Earnest also acquired two companions: Lady Penelope and Max.
Earnest the Crow
Earnest is a steampunk crow who absolutely loves top hats and his Earl Grey Tea. He also shuns spectacles in preference to the monocle and he feels it makes him distinguished. He loves to read, especially books on travelling, and has debated doing his own journey around the world in 80 days.
Lady Penelope
Penelope is a very posh black cat who has a penchant for wine – red being her favourite. She lives in a beautiful noble villa overlooking a lake, where, when the mood strikes, she goes on a hunting foray for her favourite prey – birds. She then uses their feathers to make posh hats for which she has become famous. Although she is a lady of high society, you do not want to get on her bad side.
Max the Hipster Dog
Max is a hipster through and through. He lives on the West Coast and basically lives in the local coffee shop. He loves his hats and wears glasses because he thinks they look cool – not because he needs them. He has one motto in life: drink more coffee.
Although I am not quite ready to part with the originals yet, I have photographed and prepared some prints that are currently available in my shop.
I do hope you like this series as much as I do!
