The Kestrel & The Rowan Tree

This is another of the symbolism artworks that I worked on in the second half of last year. The Kestrel & The Rowan Tree may have been my favorite of the three as I’m finding that I love painting and drawing birds at the moment.

The Rowan symbolises courage, wisdom, protection, and survival.

It is also sometimes known as the traveller’s or wayfarer’s tree (not to be confused with the Wayfaring-tree) because it was thought to prevent travellers from getting lost. It is such a distinctive looking tree that it’s easy to understand why!

The Kestrel represents patience and sharpness.

This bird is associated with Lugh, the Celtic god who was believed to be able to see the future.

The Kestrel is believed to bring clarity and forsight, a guide to making wise decisions and avoiding pitfalls.

To me, this piece is about making good choices and approaching situations with as much clarity and wisdom as possible. It is about finding the best way forward for you.

The Making Of The Kestrel And The Rowan Tree

As I often do, I began by creating a rough version. Far more detailed than an initial sketch, I use this to make sure that the line work is how I want it and to iron out any potential issues.

When I’m happy with that version I’ll make a start on the final piece.

I try to take videos and photos of my process, but sometimes I get too involved in what I’m doing and forget. This was one of those occassions!

Once I’m happy with that and have added all of the details I want to include, I add colour.

The whole process can take a week or two from start to finish, not including research, initial sketches, and generally mulling it over.

You can currently find hand embellished, limited edition prints of The Kestrel & The Rowan Tree over in my shop. There will only ever be 50 of these in the whole world, so if you would like to own one, make sure you get one as soon as you can.