"Purple Owl" (woodcut) 3" 4" (image) 6.5" x 9.5" (paper)
Water based ink on cream-colored Stonehenge paper
Artist's Proof
I completed this little study of an owl today. I've never drawn an owl before, and I realized today that I've also never looked very hard at an owl. What a strange-looking creature! Of course strange is only relative, and so I mean relative to fellow birds, and even other birds of prey, the owl is one weird-looking beastie. Obviously a little parallel evolution with the cat, what with the round, forward-facing eyes ready to zero-in on small prey in the dim of night. So often owls are depicted as cute, but when I look at photographs I see a fearsome predator with a sharp gaze.
I like the colors I chose for this print. The deep purple and fade effectively emphasize the nocturnal nature of the owl, while the orange gives a sense of heat that makes me think of the owl's heart pumping, its chest rising and falling with each steady breath as it waits, patiently to swoop in for the kill. I'll definitely do this over again as a more detailed, finished image, probably this week as part of my 30 Prints in 30 Days efforts. So keep watch!
This reminds me a lot of a painting my dad had hanging in his office when he taught at Bradley University.
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