I first became interested in barred owls after watching a documentary “The Fledgling Four” by Joe Gowac. It depicted a family of four owlets hatching in the forests of Connecticut and filmed for the first 100 days of their life. After watching their development and learning the habits and quirks of these amazing birds, I decided to paint them. I combined several photos to achieve this scene. The painting was scratched out traditionally on black scratchboard so it was initially a black and white painting. However, I wanted the rich dark browns, grays and tans to show, not to mention the wood colors of the gnarled broken tree branch. Watercolor will only adhere to the white clay, not the India Ink. I glazed in layer after layer of colors, scratching back some with tattoo needles and scalpels to create highlights and darkening others to create shadows. The title reflects what a group of owls is referred to. Similar to a “Murder of Crows”, a Parliament of Owls speaks of their assumed wisdom when gathered in a group.
