Over the years, I’ve made a number of owls, some Snowy Owls but mainly Barn Owls, because they are mostly white. Owl feather patterns are difficult to paint and require more time than I want to put into them, so there.

This simple color wheel has the three primary colors, (red, yellow, blue), and the three secondary hues, (orange, violet, green), which are the direct compliments of, and fall between the primaries. The six tertiary colors fall between the primary and secondary colors, but I didn’t want to paint that many owls.

These Snowy Owls were made for the January spot in a calendar for a German paper company. Unlike other birds that can be shingled in decorative feather shapes, owls require some facial expression and have the look of potential action in their attitude. It’s all in the eyes, doncha know…

The Barn Owl is a very common owl in the Americas, and being a very common American myself, I enjoy doing variations on this everyman’s mouser. This white on white version was recently purchased at my show in the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, NC. I don’t know HOO you are, barn owl lover, but thanks a hoot!

This Barn Owl, in an autumn setting, was happily commissioned because of the previously purchased white on white owl. I really don’t know why things can get so difficult with a familiar subject, but this is the result of three tries at it. Lots of white paper, cut and recut, painted and repainted to finally satisfy me. The electric blue and red limbs holding the intense reds and orange autumn leaves are a colored fantasy to enhance the owl with its heart shaped face.

Here is the artist that we all know and love, posing in his studio, with a piece of scrap paper, trying to look like he’s working. There is, however, a finished barn owl lurking in the background, and that seems to be my current theme. From this point on, there are only found-object owl faces, strictly playtime in the studio.

Thanks for visiting me…

leo

I’m not content with what I know,
only with what I can find out.

My show at the Grovewood Gallery in Asheville, NC, has closed, but they have retained work for ongoing viewing. Click here if you are interested in my level one collage classes, and click here for information on a level two class.