Birds and Boughs of the Old North End

October chills summer’s last and final breath until its leaves are strewn upon the ground, the air thick with conspiracy, the breeze winking as it lays a kiss upon your exposed skin.

October cleaves the sky, cleaves the earth, in two, bookended by the heat of visceral life and the aching waves of hopes and dreams before they freeze upon the sand.

I inhale and hold my breath until I feel life and death and ghouls and dreams and hauntings press upon me asking to be torn asunder from my being. I exhale and I feel them fly away leaving me both on edge and on the edge of something, but I don’t know whether to be grateful or miserable. I am stripped down to the studs and nothing. I am wretched in the in-between of worlds and time holds my face underwater asking me for something or nothing.

Ah, but here comes my friends.

About the artwork:

The sun begins to set on a gloomy, quiet day in fall. Suddenly, steadily, sounds interrupt. They come from far away. Shapes follow, one by one. A blank wall slowly transforms to show the crows flying onto the scene. The once empty tree is now a hub of activity.

The paintings here represent real events that start each October when crows travel some distance to roost in Burlington. They come for protection, partnership, and food. Barren trees transform from a place of foreboding into a beacon of belonging.

Each painting represents a time in transition. Some boughs are either peacefully or dreadfully empty, depending on your mood. Others are packed and busy, depicting the party at its most raucous. The transition communicates that loneliness isn’t forever; our relationships must not be taken for granted. Above all, each painting is part of a community, just like the crows that roost in Burlington.

Birds and Boughs of the Old North End is a dynamic, 50 piece artwork that captures inner turmoil and the healing power of community. Beginning October 2nd and continuing for the rest of the month, a new painting will be added or replace an existing painting to slowly transform the scene.

Special thanks to Teage O’Connor from Crows Path who shared information and photos regarding all things crows.