Cormorant

Like a shadow anchored to the waking world, the cormorant stood silhouetted against the silvered surface of the lake, balancing upon the bleached spine of a sunken log. Its dark, waterlogged wings were spread wide like a tattered velvet cape hung out to dry, capturing the pale sun in a heraldic display of absolute stillness. Yet, beneath this motionless, almost crucified pose, the bird was fiercely alive; its hooked beak dipped toward the water, obsidian eyes piercing the murky depths to track the fleeting silver flashes of unsuspecting fish. It was the pure embodiment of its kind—a solitary, prehistoric sentinel, endlessly patient and poised for the silent, inevitable plunge into the cold below.

Original available for purchase:

31 x 41 CM pencil drawing, framed and behind glass. £245