Kamilla White, Artist and Free Bird.

When I moved to Seattle in 1994, one of the first things I noticed was the ubiquity of the local crow population. I had never paid that much attention to these birds before. Having grown up in western Washington, I'd seen them around all my life, but this was different. I was starting a new chapter of my life in a new city, and the crows seemed to me to be harbingers of possibility. I began watching them, studying their behavior, and reading about them. I learned of their keen intelligence, their social and family structures, and their intricate co-evolutionary relationships with human beings. From there, it was only a short step to imagining them living in my house, having access to my things and generally wreaking whimsical havoc. I started Raven Lunatic Studios (originally called Kamillustration) in 2001, and began sharing these ideas with the art-viewing public. I am happy to report that the response has been favorable.

I am constantly striving for balance – between work and the rest of life; between painting and sculpture; between reliable production work that pays the bills and new, fresh material that keeps me engaged and excited about what I do. And yes, eventually between crow- and raven-themed art and other subject matter. For now, the crows are my muses, and I expect that to be the case for some time to come. Ideas for new work occur to me more quickly than I can get them onto canvas or paper, so I think I shall be very busy for the next few decades. I am grateful to the crows for inspiring me, and to the wonderful people who share, appreciate and support my artistic visions.