I’m always fascinated by the way in which inspiration comes along – like a subtle tap on the shoulder or a instant flashing image in our minds eye. Just like the dream catching giant in Roald Dahls “The BFG” (The Big Frendly Giant) the artist captures the image in an instant. We then materialise these inspirational sparks into a unique artwork of our own making.
The star of this artwork is my friends daughter. During a memorable visit to The Screech Owl Sanctuary in Cornwall Somerset her daughter held a rare black barn owl. Interestingly they both share a generic variation. Melanistic is the opposite of the fair albino beauty that her daughter possesses. On hearing about this rare pairing of dark and light wonder of nature I felt compelled to create this portrait of the two.
I used Faber – Castell Polychromos coloured pencils to create this piece. My usual medium being stained glass – it has been a 26 year while since I’ve worked with coloured pencils in art school. It’s good to re-hone our skills in other mediums now and then. It helps us to remain flexabe in our observations and approach to our subject, and you never know where it might lead you.
More can be found about the Screech Owl Sanctuary at screechowlsantuary.co.uk
And Polycromos coloured pencils at www.faber-castell.co.uk