Barred Owl In The Trees

20% of proceeds from this piece and limited edition fine art prints will go directly to the Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, Oregon to support the conservation of wild birds.


ORIGINAL

FINE ART PRINT

Last summer I lived with a family of owls.

Nestled in my home in a wooded part of the city, I watched from my window as two Barred Owls spent the early spring days chasing each other around my yard. Occasionally I’d see one of them glide down to the small creek at the back of the property and come up with a meal. I delighted in the chance to get a close-up view of such elusive creatures in my own backyard.

In late spring a shrill screen–e-e-eechhh sound permeated the evening woods. What was this–an unfamiliar insect? Something man-made? Wait–no! Barred Owl babies! Ma and Pa Barred Owl had nestlings to care for. No wonder they had been so busy hunting. After a few weeks I finally saw one: a little feathered lump precariously perched on a low moss-covered Doug Fir branch. For weeks I was enchanted watching the three fledglings grow up, using their beaks for balance as they crawled along thick Doug Fir branches, taking naps, and squabbling with their brothers or sisters between flying lessons. They even came down and watched us eat dinner on the picnic table in the yard most nights, bobbing their heads at us from just 20 feet up in the trees, curious and brave.

After months of close encounters with these beautiful birds, the family expanded their territory and visited less often. When winter arrived all I could hear was their echoing calls through the far-off woods, and occasionally found a shed feather tucked between the ferns in the yard. Not too long afterward, a storm broke out and uprooted many of the Doug Firs the owl family had perched on, destroying my home (and much of theirs) in the process. 

I started this large piece of Mama Barred Owl that summer, finding peace in the moments I spent watching and learning from these birds.

Fortunately this painting was one of the few possessions I was able to save (slide 3). I repaired it then added more feathery details and a branch, an homage to the power of the trees and the magical Summer of the Owls.

Acrylic on canvas
24″x36″