"SENTINEL" by Evee Erb

Hawks have been regarded as guardians in many cultures and religions, including Native American, Biblical, and Greek mythology. They have long been considered symbols of divine guidance and prophecy. In our present world, the sanctity of natural spaces is endangered by encroaching human enterprise. An artificial light (as if from headlights) shines upon the hawk as it guards the wild, while the comparatively subtle light of the full moon suggests a clash between the natural and manmade. Erb painted the Sparrowhawk from life using a restored antique taxidermy. This piece received the Charlotte Dunwiddie Memorial Award for Traditional Work from the Catherine Lorillard Workf Art Club, hosted at the Salmagundi Club NY in 2023. This painting also won “Best Use of Values” at the National Oil and Acrylic Painter’s Society 2024 Best of America Small Works Exhibition.