The Jaunty Crow

05/08/2023

Happy Saturday, folks! I know it has been a while (I refuse to say "been a minute") since I have checked in here. These days you can mostly find me on Instagram and Threads as .

Come on over and say hello!

26/04/2023

Join The Tattooed Historian and myself for our newest podcast episode! For this show, we discussed how military history is more than tactics and can be approached through an interdisciplinary lens.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetattooedhistorian/episodes/More-Than-Tactics-How-Military-History-is-Interdisciplinary-e232c6s

What aspects of military history interest you? Let us know in the comments.

[Disclaimer: The views and opinions stated in this podcast are my own and not representative of the organizations named.]

09/04/2023

DRAWINGS FOR SALE. FREE SHIPPING. $25 EACH. LINK IN BIO.

www.thejauntycrow.com

Selling these as part of a studio clean-out.
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"Windswept Reverberation"
11 inches x 14 inches
Conte crayon, charcoal, graphite, pen and acrylic ink on printmaking paper

"Necropolis"
12 inches x 11 inches
Conte crayon and charcoal on printmaking paper

08/04/2023

Hey folks, I dropped 25% off most of my artwork. They need a good home to roost. 😁

Why be a War Hawk when you can be a Jaunty Crow? Explore the visual culture and sociology of conflicts past and present with fine art available for...

03/04/2023

FOR SALE at www.thejauntycrow.com with FREE shipping.

"An Enemy is Anyone We Name"
10 inches x 10 inches
Acrylic, magazine clippings, printed text, uniform fabric, marker, ashes, and cold wax medium on wooden chess board
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The Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is a U.S. law that grants the President the authority to use military force against certain targets or countries (https://bit.ly/40CFNn6).

Former President George W. Bush invoked AUMF in 2001 to justify military actions against "nations, organizations, or persons..." that "planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons..." These nations were Afghanistan and Iraq but expanded to include Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.

The AUMF remains controversial, with some critics arguing that it gives the President too much power to engage in military actions without sufficient oversight.

On March 29, 2023, the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the AUMF.

25/03/2023

My pick for today. Have you visited your local library lately? What did you check out?

24/03/2023

Why be a War Hawk when you can be a Jaunty Crow?

I am pleased to announce that my artwork is now available for purchase in the U.S. through BigCartel at www.thejauntycrow.com. Sizes range between 4 x 4 inches to 8 x 10 inches and are priced between $20 and $80 USD, depending on the piece.

Why be a War Hawk when you can be a Jaunty Crow? Explore the visual culture and sociology of conflicts past and present with fine art available for...

22/03/2023

I am pleased to announce that my artwork will soon be available for purchase in the U.S. through BigCartel.com. Sizes range between 4 x 4 inches to 8 x 10 inches and are priced between $20 and $80 USD, depending on the piece.

08/03/2023

I recently made my podcast debut on The Tattooed Historian show!

Tired of being lectured when it comes to history? Then you've come to the right place! Here is where history is for everyone, regardless of your background or education level. History which is accessible, edgy, and fun!

22/02/2023

I’m currently on the road to the Show of Shows in Louisville, Kentucky (https://bit.ly/41fi8tB), the largest military collectible show in the world. For this , I present a piece from my personal collection which I acquired from the MAX Show in York, Pennsylvania (https://bit.ly/3EtgUkA) over the fall.

Shown here is a World War II era veterinary surgery kit. The first two images are my kit. The third image is a fully stocked kit in the collection of the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland (https://bit.ly/41jWYdG).

Veterinary medicine played a critical role in the second world war, particularly in caring for military animals such as horses, mules, and dogs. Veterinarians were responsible for not only treating these animals for injuries and illnesses, but also ensuring their overall well-being and performance in the war effort.

The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established in 1916 and played a vital role in World War II, with over 1,000 veterinarians and 8,000 enlisted personnel serving in the corps. Advances in animal healthcare during World War II, such as the use of antibiotics, led to new treatments for animal diseases and improved animal welfare.

20/02/2023

Happy ! Who had the best strategy?

A. Bill Clinton
B. George W. Bush
C. Barrack Obama

Share your response in the comments.

18/02/2023

In 2004, it was revealed that United States soldiers committed a series of abuses against detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Disturbing photographs were released to the public showing US soldiers engaging in physical and sexual abuse, humiliation, and torture of detainees (https://bit.ly/3EkcNrf). The photos incited outrage around the world leading to investigations and inquiries into the conduct of US military personnel at Abu Ghraib and other detention facilities in Iraq.

The artwork below uses excerpts of the Taguba Report (https://bit.ly/3Sq8D73), a Department of Defense document containing the findings of their investigation. A compelling primary source document (https://bit.ly/3lOAKQJ), the report captures a specific moment in time. Like the artwork, evidence of corruption and poor leadership at every level is woven into the scandal.
The Night Shift Run Amok
2023
26 inches x 15 inches
Uniform, acrylic, and printed report document

18/02/2023

Share your thoughts in the comments.

17/02/2023

13/02/2023

Now here's some Global War on Terror history you don't typically hear.

From Osama bin Laden to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, how do we reconcile our hatred of terrorist acts with the human need for a respectful burial?DEATH SALON TICKETS a...

11/02/2023

Say hello to our new logo and mascot!

04/02/2023

My buys from the Hallowed Ground Militaria & Historic Arms Show: Gettysburg, PA today; WW2 Dental Officer pin and a National Geospatial Agency patch!

My paternal grandfather was a Dental Officer in the war and intelligence was one of my concentrations in grad school.

29/01/2023

Tonight's .

10/01/2023

New threads from the recent military haul of The Tattooed Historian. Like what you see? Visit his seller page here: https://www.ebay.com/usr/ta2dhistorian

09/01/2023

New work up.

During his presidency, Barack Obama implemented a drone program that was used to target and kill terrorists in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia. The program was controversial because it was not carried out with the approval of the governments of the countries where the strikes took place, and there were concerns about civilian casualties.

Although organizations such as New America (bit.ly/3VPIPBj) have estimated the number of civilian casualties, the real figure remains unknown.

In this painting, I represent that ambiguity as numbers becoming a jumble of barely identifiable characters. The title refers to how the monetary cost of drones is quantifiable, but the cost of human life varies between government organizations, human rights advocates, and the people directly harmed by drones in their own communities.

"We Knew Some Costs and Not Others"
8 inches x 10 inches
Acrylic, pieced paper, magazine clippings, cold wax medium, and ashes on panel

31/12/2022

Please help Julius!

Hello -- this is Susan, requesting help to pay for life-saving surgery f… Susan Spencer needs your support for Please help LCpl Julius get lifesaving surgery

10/12/2022

I've never been much of a person to do preliminary sketches, even when I was studying illustration in art school. I prefer to work spontaneously and intuitively. There are still benefits to doing test mock-ups. I get to see how various materials work together and anticipate potential issues with those materials before starting the actual piece.

How do you plan a creative project? Are you meticulous or do you jump right in?

08/12/2022

In addition to and , I'll be doing , a regular book review series.

Today's Crow Cover selection is "Invisible Wounds" by Jess Ruliffson. This graphic novel compiles the oral histories of 12 veterans from various branches, ranks, and job types using a simple, cartoon visual style.

Each story is as unique as the person being portrayed, told from a first person point of view. These stories cover themes like reasons for enlisting, deployment, questions of personal identity, and life after the military. Several stories address difficult issues such as PTSD, racism, assault, and su***de. Some stories are hopeful while others are tragic.

I give this book high praise for its unflinching candor and portrayal of service members as individuals within a system where individuality is not congruent with the mission. Characters represent several diverse communities including women, LGBTQ, and Asian Americans to question common assumptions of who is a veteran.

Characters are often flawed or struggling to find closure to their circumstances. All of them are undeniably human. They ask the reader to consider the humanity of the people who fight our wars.

08/12/2022

Tonight's .

03/12/2022

Today's viewing.

27/11/2022

Tonight's (finally seeing this for the first time)

23/11/2022

I picked up this art book on my recent trip to Ottawa and it has got some spectacular paintings!

20/06/2022

Tonight's

30/05/2022

Resharing thoughts on my first Remembrance Day, Canada’s version of Memorial Day.

The war memorial in downtown Ottawa I recently had the honor of attending my first Remembrance Day in Ottawa, Ontario. There are many things that differ from how the United States honors November 1…