31 Paintings in 31 Days - Day Eighteen

"Patriarch of the Feathered Tribe" - watercolor on paper, 16" x 12" SOLD

So recently a friend posted a heartwarming video of the conservation efforts for whooping cranes.  I was captivated by the humans in big white hooded outfits with long faux crane heads at the end of one arm.  They looked like strange aliens, but their efforts in teaching young cranes to eat, to preen, to run , to fly and then to migrate...well it is all quite exceptional.

There was a photo of the young cranes following a strange glider, flown by one of these oddly garbed humans, as they learned their migratory routes.  The cranes were dark sillouettes against a misty sky.  I decided to recreate the spirit of that photo here.

The crane resonates with me, so of course I had to find out what it might mean.  

To the Chinese, the crane is a symbol of justice and longevity.  It teaches you to express feminine energies.  Given its history as a symbol of wildlife conservation, the crane could mean you are about to recover what had almost become extinct within you.  In Celtic mythology, it is sacred to the king of the underworld and heralds war and death (let's just say right now I am ruling out this one! ha ha!)  The whooping sound is a bit haunting and can considered a primal celebration.  The crane teaches you how to celebrate your creative resources and keep them alive. 

And THAT sounds like just the message for me during this month-long challenge.