The Pygmy Owl

The desert can be barren, harsh, and even deadly. Yet somehow life finds a way to thrive there, and when it does, it can be colorful.

These 6" owls nest in the Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran desert of North America. This is the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and is now listed as threatened per the Endangered Species Act. If you're lucky to spot them, it most likely will be at dawn or dusk. Numbering in the 100's in Arizona, habitat loss is the major contributor to their decline. 

Painted with M. Graham watercolors and Daniel Smith Luminescent watercolors on 10 X 12 canvas board. 

Happy Halloween owl!

 Last week during a mild Friday evening under a new moon, live music was playing across my street by Jacob Westfall who made an appearance on American Idol. While I'm not watcher of American Idol (or much TV anyway), his voice was incredible. I couldn't see the actual concert as it was in my neighbor's backyard, so I sat on my patio and just listened. Above the house where the concert was playing is a large tree, and suddenly I see a giant owl float to a branch in that tree. This bird was so graceful and large, so I retrieved my binoculars to see if I can get a better view. It sat in that tree as if it were also listening to the beautiful music, and it didn't move for at least an hour. The evening felt so magicial.

Although I've painted a few owls already, this sighting and the season had inspired me to paint one. Here is one in watercolor in my bird journal.

Burrowing Owl in watercolor

When I think of owls, I imagine the Burrowing Owl. With it's intense yellow eyes and glare, you can just feel it's power. One of my favorite bird paintings, watercolor on paper.

Easy peasy sketches

Using more watercolor pencils, and Sakura Micron pens, these were quick outlets of creativity found in a pocket of time in my busy life.