ARTIST’S STATEMENT   I love making bird sculptures and the Crows are one of my favourites. So many different influences go in to my crow designs, the quirky ceramics of the Martin Brothers, the poetry of Ted Hughes, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, programmes like “The Tudors and “The Game of Thrones.” Suddenly my Crows started to demand thrones, crowns and swords. Some rebelled against their naked state and required elaborate attire, but there is something very satisfying about a simple crow form in all its naked glory; with its hooded form wrapped in a cloak of inky black and midnight blue.

The crow is part of my “Murder of Crows" body of work and explores the connotations and implications that surround the quotes that make up the collective nouns for groups of animals and birds; sometimes referred to as the Deeds of Chase. So far I have created a "Rat Pack" a "Parliament of Owls" and this range features the "Murder of Crows". I incorporate a humanistic element into the designs in a deliberate attempt to anthropomorphize the pieces, so the crows have a subtle collar or costume, the tawny owl chicks have spiky hairstyles and the rats have a characteristic hat or costume.

THE COURT OF THE CROWS   The Murder series became so popular that I constantly added new pieces to the range, until it eventually became the Court of the Crows.

First came the common Crow naked and forlorn.
Next were crowned the Crow King and Queen on their regal thrones of thorn.
The Cardinal arrived to offer religious guidance.
The Knight Crow fought bravely to deter their enemies.
The Executioner was needed to dispatch these foes.
The Jester Crow just wanted to lighten their woes.
Witches and Wizards added their Magic.
Aristocrats graced us with their presence.
Royal offspring vied for power and Baby Crows hatched to start the saga all over again.

SIZE  About 33 cm high by 12.5 cm wide from the front and 19.5 cm deep from beak to tail.
WEIGHT   Approximately 2.225kg
COLOUR   Black stained body with dark chocolate brown, midnight blue, red and white glaze details.
MATERIALS   Valentine’s Stoneware crank and smooth modelling clay fired ceramic to 1260 degrees.
RANGE   The Murder of Crows series developed in to the Court of the Crows range and now includes the following designs, Aristocrat, Cardinal, Common Crow, Cradle Crow Chick, Executioner, Jester, King, Knight, Prince, Princess, Queen, Witch, Wizard and Crow Clocks.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION   Clay is rolled and press moulded in to body sections, that are then assembled to form the basic structure. The piece is allowed to dry a little between stages to give it the strength to carry the weight of the design. The crow is then carved with fine textures and marks starting form the beak and ending at the feet. I usually work on several crows at a time and usually finish the carving by the end of the first week. The work is then left for up to three weeks to dry out fully, before being fired in an electric kiln to 1000°C. It will take another 24 hours for the kiln to cool down so that all the work can be emptied out and glazed. We make all our own stoneware glazes, which are dipped, poured, painted and sprayed on to our designs. Once glazed all the work goes back into the kiln for a second firing of up to 1260°C. This firing will fix the glaze permanently in to place and also make the piece frost proof and water resistant. From start to finish each large Zoo Ceramics design can take about a month to complete.

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