Beach Banquet

Blown and sand carved glass
26.5" x 11" x 4.5"

He went down to the beach, hoping for a meal, and found the tide was far out — much farther than usual.

Instead of worrying about the cause, he generously helped himself to the effect: a bounty of clams, mussels, urchins, and crabs — exposed and awaiting consumption.

Old Woman of the Tides

Blown and sand carved glass
25.5" x 6" x 8.5"

Soon he spotted an old woman pushing the tide in and out with no regard to any schedule.

“Look here, Old Woman,” Raven called. “ Are you the Keeper of the Tide? ”

“I am, truly,” she muttered, though distracted.

Salmon Hat

Blown and sand carved glass
6.25" x 20" x 8"

And that’s when he saw them: a pod of Killer Whales, parading. Heads held high, a dead salmon perched on every head.

"What is this?” Raven asked. “A funeral procession? Performance art?”

“We’re having an Easter Parade,” said Mother Killer Whale.“ This is my Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it!”

Lifting the Edge of the Water

Blown and sand carved glass
13" x 20" x 15"

Lifting the edge of the water, Raven slipped beneath, and dove down to Killer Whale Town. Things had been pretty dull lately, and when things got dull, Raven remembered his mission: To save the World.

Kelp Forest

Blown and sand carved glass
20.5" x 16" x 4"

At the bottom, under the water was a revival tent. Packed with whales. Raven slipped in the back.

The Killer Whale Chief took the stage.
“The Earth does not belong to Man,” he boomed. "Man belongs to the Earth. All things are connected — Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself!"

Sharp Tooth

Blown and sand carved glass

The Sharks turned their lazy black eyes toward Raven but didn't stop dragging their long, pointy teeth along the rocks at the bottom of the cliff — sending up showers of sparks.

“What are you doing?” Raven asked. “And why?”

“We're sharpening our teeth,” said the Sharks. “All the better to eat you! ”

New Food

Blown and sand carved glass
8" x 7.75"

Raven:
May I enquire as to the nature of this operation you are operating?

Captain:
Of course, sir. We are operating an operation that conceives, hatches, grooms and releases into the food chain - genetically modified salmon.

Upon a Mountain Top

Blown and sand carved glass

“I do love this world, ” said Raven.

And a voice replied — a voice that was not his own; “It is a fine world”

There sat Mountain Goat, bearded and still, the very image of subarctic enlightenment.

“But it is a world full of chaos,” said Raven. “ Chaos is as chaos does,” said Mountain Goat.

The Spirit of Things

Blown and sand carved glass
12" x 23.5" x 4.75"

The Talented Mr. Raven

Sandra Ainsley Gallery

Visit the Sandra Ainsley Gallery for the newest tale from artist Preston Singletary and best selling author Garth Stein featuring Raven - a trickster, a truth-seeker, and an eternal optimist in a world gone sideways.

Tides crash without rhythm. Killer Whales wear bonnets made from dead salmon. Sharks sharpen their teeth on rocks and corporate fishermen tempt Raven with a lifetime of genetically engineered fish - now with extra salmon flavor.

Raven, ever torn between minds (and always hungry), is just looking for a little peace… and maybe a snack. Instead, he crosses paths with a wise Mountain Goat, a furious Frog King ready to rattle the earth, and a dazzling Thunderbird.

The world may be broken, even absurd. But Raven can’t stop believing it’s worth saving.

Preston Singletary: The Talented Mr. Raven
Sandra Ainsley Gallery
October 4th - 31st, 2025