The first owl I was fond of was Big Mama in The Fox and the Hound. Her voice was soothing and I wanted to hug her, not that you can hug a cartoon. You may have noticed that owls have gained popularity in the past few years, as they appear on various types of home decor. Seeing them around more often than usual inspired Andy to make owl art. Typical owls are solitary nocturnal birds of prey. They have large forward-facing eyes and ears, a hawk-like beak, and a conspicuous circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. You will notice that Andy doesn't necessarily follow this description in his art. Rather, his owl art is his interpretation of the details he notices.

Florida has nine species of owls: Flammulated Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, Great Horned Owl, Snowy Owl, Burrowing Owl, Barred Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, and Northern Saw-whet Owl. Which of those owls has Andy painted? I couldn't begin to guess, as I am not an ornithologist. Here's something interesting, though: I read that a Great Horned Owl can use up to 80 pounds of force with one claw. That's pretty crazy!

All owls eat their prey either whole or ripped into pieces. Several hours later, they regurgitate the unwanted parts (bones, fur, feathers) in pellets. When I was in high school, I had to dissect an owl pellet. I was not a fan of that particular experiment. It totally grossed me out. Anyway, you can get details about owl pellets and the like elsewhere on the internet (for example, The Owl Pages). I'm here to share art with you, not science! Below are a few pieces of Andy's owl art, which may or may not represent any of the species mentioned above.

*Wisdom Comes From the Heart | 51x32 inches*

Mixed Media Owl Art