The Crow’s Nest

mixed media, 16" x 16"

SOLD

“The Crow's Nest" is a part of a series of paintings inspired by nautical terms and sailor's slang, the origins of which are often obscure. A crow's nest on a sailing vessel is most often on the upper part of the main mast. On ships, this position ensured the widest field of view for lookouts to spot approaching hazards, other ships, or land by using the naked eye or optical devices such as telescopes. Since the crow's nest is a point far away from the ship's center, rotational movement of the ship is amplified and could lead to severe seasickness, even in accustomed sailors. Therefore, being sent to the crow's nest was also considered a punishment.                                   

According to a popular naval legend, the term derives from the practice of Viking sailors, who carried crows or ravens in a cage secured to the top of the mast. In cases of poor visibility, a crow was released, and the navigator plotted a course corresponding to the bird's flight path because the bird invariably headed "as the crow flies" towards the nearest land. True or not my feathered inhabitants of "The Crow's Nest" share a tendency we all tend to have, looking all around and not seeing what is right in front of us!

See Ed’s initial sketches and progression of the painting below: