Great-Horned Owl (and vole)
Acrylic on masonite, 18 x 24 in. (1996)

The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) is a magnificently coloured bird, disguised to look like the trees and the grounds of the forest. The depressed face presents a kind of sound parabola, allowing them to hear the slightest twist of a whisker of the rodentia scurrying about in field and forest. OK, I have exagerated, but the hearing ability of owls is extraordinary.

This painting stretched the techniques that I used in earlier works: creating more amorphous backgrounds rather than objective. This is similar to a shallow depth of field in photography. While this allows the viewer to focus on the subject, the use of tone and shape in the background suggests other objects such as leaves and branches. It's also a bit of fun as some of these shapes and colours can appear as abstractions of other forms, creating a kind of narrative quality. Literally, if you see it, then it's there!