Thursday, July 10, 2008

HELLO OWL!


A new day is dawning and I'm eager to continue work on my owl totem.

I decided that an owl with outstretched wings might be more interesting than my original plan. I try to be open to new ideas as I go along...unlike the early days when I followed my sketch to the nth degree. Something else I've learned along the way is that looking at photographs of one's work is a helpful technique to help one find any faults that need adjusting.

I have had the most fun creating the owl. As a teenager I hand reared two Spotted Eagle Owlets (see below) so I have quite a soft spot for them.



17 comments:

  1. Bless your heart! Taking care of those baby owls was a labor of true love!
    It's 7am here and I've been at the workbench for an hour...with the heat my time there is either REALLY early or REALLY late. What a great way to start the day seeing your blog nomination...Well deserved my friend!
    ..and thank you for thinking of me in return!
    (my goodness, I use an awful lot of !!!! don't I?)

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  2. I love the owl - the outstretched arms really make it. I also like the idea of taking a photo of work in progress to see it differently. Finally, I love the photo with the trees reflecting in the glass - it's so neat to see how foliage differs around the world.

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  3. Thanks so much for nominating me for an award, Robyn:-)

    The owl is progressing beautifully!

    I agree with you about the photos. I've been taking a series of them through my last two paintings and its fascinating playing them back as a slideshow and seeing the changes!

    I don't know where Stephanie T is but we are on the same timetable as its baking here in inland Spain!

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  4. Thank you Robyn... you are way too kind for passing this on to me.. I am always very shy about accepting any awards ...
    I always have the feeling that I could have done a better job on anything I have done... You know how a great idea comes after the piece is done and I wished I had incorporated it into it..
    But I guess that is a start for the next one...I have to learn that...

    I can surely see how you could become attached to 2 fluffy owl chicks such as these. You must have fallen in love with them. They are beautiful!!!

    and your owl carving is amazing.. you just grabbed that idea and flew with it.... Wow!!

    You are so inspiring!!!

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  5. Wow! I'm so excited by how the owl is coming together! I especially love the natural texture in his wings.

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  6. Hi Robyn,
    Thanks so much for visiting my blog. You have a pretty nice one yourself. I'll have to spend some time poking around!
    I love your owl photo and the one you are creating. They make for an interesting subject don't they??

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  7. Beautiful reflection in those amazing windows...
    Wonderful carving,
    I am a lover of owls too...

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  8. I'd like to thank you for another super post and also for my award.
    That was so kind of you, made my day!
    Annette

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  9. Your totem is absolutely fascinating!

    Susan

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  10. Hi Robyn, many thanks for nominating my site for your blog award.

    I love your new owl totem. It would be great to see them in person. Wood is a wonderful medium.

    I only had one encounter with an owl..at a bird sanctuary...years ago. I thought I would offer it some food. And of course, it swooped down and grabbed it with its feet..and scratched my hand with its talons. Silly me, I forgot they used their feet to catch food.

    Still, now I respect those feet!!

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  11. Bless you back Stephanie! I tend to over use those exclamation marks too.

    Heather, it really is fun to compare notes. We all have so much in common but on the other side of the coin there are many differences. Thanks for your lovely comment.

    Cherry, Stephanie is in California. (I nominated her for an award too so go check her out at Wabi Sabi) Everyone seems to be having a particularly hot summer. Our turn is coming and I'm dreading it.

    Gwen, thank YOU. Your blog inspires me.

    Shayla, thanks for the comment. I'm having such fun creasting the owl.

    Diane, owls make such great art subjects. I think I must have carved dozens in my teens and now I have rediscovered them.

    Jo, there seem to be many owl lovers around. My godmother had the biggest collection of arty owls I have ever seen.

    Annette, my pleasure. You deserve the award.

    Thanks Susan!

    June...LOL....thats the one think you have to be really careful of! Those talons are amazingly strong. With the owl chicks I found that once the talons curled around my hand (clinging on for dear life) it was extremely difficult to prize them off. I would just un clench the one and then the other one would squeeze tighter and then by the time I had managed to get that one off the other one would be back clenching the life out of my hand.

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  12. The owl turned out brillinatly!!! Another masterpiece!!

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  13. Hi, Robyn! Thank you for all the kind comments you left over at my blog! I kept trying to find a way to e-mail you privately but couldn't find it...did I just not look in the right place?

    At any rate, your work is absolutely beautiful!! Stunning! And since Artfest I am a sucker for any and all owls, so your totem in particular took my breath away!

    Thanks again for stopping by, and know that i will be back here very soon!
    ~Amy

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  14. Robyn! I have two awards for you on my blog! I see you just got one of them altready, oh well, you deserve them all! Roxanne

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  15. loving the owl totem and can't wait to see the finished piece. congrats on your award!!

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  16. You're owl totem is looking wonderful already. The out-stretched wings really balance the piece. Thank you kindly for the award. My first one i've ever received. I will follow the award rules when i have access to a computer. And well done on your award. Very well deserved. You have such a beautiful and inspiring blog and I look forward to every new post. :)

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  17. Your owl totem is amazing!! I absolutely love it!

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