Creative raven produces stunning range of experimental paintings – using her beak
- last year
A creative raven has caused a flutter in the art world after producing a stunning range of experimental paintings - with her beak.
Odin uses an array of vivid animal-safe paints and food colourings to make her amazing abstract works, which are flying off the shelves for around £5 a piece.
Keepers at the Tropical Butterfly House Wildlife Conservation Park in Sheffield, South Yorks., said they first gave the captive bird an easel around eight years ago.
And after 'a lot of training', they introduced her to several different tools before finally handing her a brush, which she used to create her incredible works.
Amazing video taken by staff shows Odin picking up the brush with her beak and waddle over to the easel to create her Jackson Pollock-esque paintings.
Odin has completed dozens of pieces over the years, with the money that they make donated to conservation charities.
A spokesperson for the park said: “Odin started the training about 8 years ago.
"We started using different tools for her to use in her beak and then gradually gave her a brush.
“We gradually got her used to using an easel, it did take quite a lot of training but she eventually dipped a brush into a pot of safe paint or food colouring.
“We don’t do too many paintings as they are very intelligent and get bored easily but when we do have paintings we sell them in the gift shop.
"The money goes to conservation.”
Studies have shown that ravens, which are part of the Corvidae family, have cognitive skills rivalling the great apes at full maturity.
And other studies suggest that they may have similar problem-solving capabilities to that of a child under seven years old.
Odin uses an array of vivid animal-safe paints and food colourings to make her amazing abstract works, which are flying off the shelves for around £5 a piece.
Keepers at the Tropical Butterfly House Wildlife Conservation Park in Sheffield, South Yorks., said they first gave the captive bird an easel around eight years ago.
And after 'a lot of training', they introduced her to several different tools before finally handing her a brush, which she used to create her incredible works.
Amazing video taken by staff shows Odin picking up the brush with her beak and waddle over to the easel to create her Jackson Pollock-esque paintings.
Odin has completed dozens of pieces over the years, with the money that they make donated to conservation charities.
A spokesperson for the park said: “Odin started the training about 8 years ago.
"We started using different tools for her to use in her beak and then gradually gave her a brush.
“We gradually got her used to using an easel, it did take quite a lot of training but she eventually dipped a brush into a pot of safe paint or food colouring.
“We don’t do too many paintings as they are very intelligent and get bored easily but when we do have paintings we sell them in the gift shop.
"The money goes to conservation.”
Studies have shown that ravens, which are part of the Corvidae family, have cognitive skills rivalling the great apes at full maturity.
And other studies suggest that they may have similar problem-solving capabilities to that of a child under seven years old.