Kung Fu Crane

Size: 30,3 x 22,6 cm

Materials: Watercolour and fine-liner on watercolour paper

I’ve always loved seeing the Cranes return in Spring. It’s one of the major signs that the season is progressing up here in Norway. Most images and paintings of Cranes show these elegant, classy birds that sort of just stand there or fly. sleek and graceful.

When I decided to do a crane for the Strange Birds series, I wanted it to be different, so I decided to look at the other side of the Crane, the so-called darker side.

It does fight with its rivals when they’re in mating season, so I decided to make a crane that is mid-attack. That’s jumping, kicking, screaming, hovering in the air like one of those guys from the old kung fu movies, and that’s also where the name the Kung Fu Crane came from.

Having this on your wall might remind you to fight when you need it. To keep fighting for what you want but to do it with grace. Not to get ugly or nasty, but not to give up either.