A Father's Day Commemoration

A Sandhill Crane, digital painting

June has been an emotionally challenging month for me, commemorating as it does, my father's birthday, death and also father's day.

I have been thinking about dad a lot recently and all our many walks and talks over the years. What he would make of the world now and everything that is going on?

Above all I pick back through those conversations for the advice and perspective he used to offer to help me overcome my challenges. No matter what the pressing issue of the day, he would always remind me of the beauty and wonder that surrounded us and when ever I felt lost, just to stop and look outward, engaging with what inspiration the world had to offer.

One of his favourite things to point out on our wonderings were the elegance and grace of the construction cranes across London’s skyline. Feeling a little wobbly this week I thought about what, if he were here, he might like for a father's day gift and I decided to paint him a real crane, flying gently onward as he has done, from this world to the next.

Thank you to Dee Carpenter from @wildlifereferencephotos for her inspiring reference image of Sandhill Crane in flight. Painting this glorious bird has offered me great comfort this week.

As usual see below a time-lapse of this painting in progress.