In my corner of Vermont, the snow is silently piling up- currently 3+ feet in my yard. In the quiet of this winter landscape, I hear owls calling, often so close that I can hear them even with the doors and windows closed. Sometimes it is a solitary call, sometimes it is answered by nearby, unseen owls. During the coldest days of winter, my resident barred owl looks over the yard from a branch in the tree near our kitchen window.
When painting, I too am a solitary soul, working in my studio overlooking the yard and the woods beyond. Winter has allowed me time to celebrate my forest critters and work on painting to bring my owl sketches, which have been hiding in my sketchbook, to life .
Here they are as a pair - whimsical Saw-Whet and Barred Owls, nestled among the pines. Things I discovered in this painting process: I enjoy painting animals as much as I do flowers and trees, and I am learning how to apply my own playful style in creating them. I've named them "Wondering When I'll See You" and "Watching Over You." Saw whet are among the tiniest owls -only about 7" tall and so elusive... not easy to see through the thicket of trees.
🦉For the little saw-whet, I wanted to accentuate its bright yellow eyes that give it such a cute appearance!
🦉For the barred, I created the 'barred' appearance by painting its feathers in layers of points. That and the spots add a bit of whimsy.
The originals are both available here.