Barn Owl ~ "Shadows of the Sky" ~ Pastel Lovebirds Two birds in flight presented

Two birds in flight presented a compositional challenge: each needs its own energy and integrity while sharing the frame

The kestrel's compact intensity makes this painting ideal for desks

they are the largest herons in North America and the undisputed rulers of any shoreline they occupy

and each one teaches me something new about painting white

The warm reds of the tail feathers are the painting's emotional center — a flash of unexpected color on a bird most people see only as a dark shape against the sky

Barn Owl ~ "Shadows of the Sky" ~ Pastel Lovebirds Two birds in flight presentedThis barn owl pastel painting is a departure from my watercolor work and one of the most striking pieces in my studio. Barn owls have a face like no other bird: that heart shaped disc, the dark eyes, the ghostly white feathers that make them look like they belong to a different world. I wanted to capture that otherworldly quality in pastel, a medium that lets me build the soft, smoky textures of owl plumage in ways watercolor doesn't. Working in