Ten Generations

Ten Generations by Beth  Surdut 2011

Listening To Raven series

In Alaska, Mark has been caring for ravens and eagles for the past 16 years. Although there are certainly professional nature photographers with admirable patience, skill, and talent, this man’s love is uniquely communicated through his actions and photographic documentation of his avian friends. His photographs and the stories he tells me gave flight to this newest drawing as well as  The Ravens of Truth and Memory which nods to the Norse God Odin’s raven.

Mark writes: I must say I think your drawing of Raven is the best that I have seen yet...

 Raven flew over the office of the apartment complex where I worked. I put some meat out for him and soon he came down and got it. Next, he brought his partner and although she was much more tentative they both started stopping by each day. I started to develop a call that sounded like when the male Kushka called the female Feathers. After time, when I called, they would come down off the mountain. That summer, I noticed that they brought their fledge down to my truck and from that time on I became their babysitter.

  After 10 generations of fledges, I believe the original couple moved on and now all their children come back in the winter to live nearby cause they know I will have food for them if times get bad. 
Come meet Ten Generations and the rest of my raven family at the Randall Davey Audubon Center exhibition opening July 9, 5-7 pm in Santa Fe, New Mexico