Hello, owl?

This morning as I was waking up and performing my morning ablutions, I noticed an unusual mass in the birch tree outside the back of our house. It was still pretty dark, barely dawn. The shape hunkered on the branch, this was no graceful perch. Yet there was a delicacy that indicated it was either a hawk or owl or some other bird of prey. I went to get the binoculars, hoping it would not move. My reward–to see that indeed it was an owl, most likely a barred owl.

These kinds of sightings always feel like omens to me. Owls are linked to witches, deception, darkness and trickery, but also wisdom, truth and change. The owl’s eyes as seen through the binoculars looked kindly at me. What came to mind was the quiet love of an animal friend, coupled with the strength of a bird of prey.

Why owl, why? Four-color reduction linoleum print.

I made a print about two encounters with an owl a couple of years ago–a memory that still stays with me. You can read about it more here and here.  Coincidentally this image is going to be appearing on a billboard in Berkshire County any day now as part of Pittsfield’s annual 10×10 festival’s 10 Spot exhibit. It will also be on view at the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts in Pittsfield, MA, beginning February 6th, with an official opening on February 12th. I do hope you get to see it.