Great Horned Owls Nest Project
It all started with a Facebook Marketplace ad advertising a piece of driftwood for sale. The piece of wood wasn’t really driftwood at all, rather a hole in a fallen tree. It was about an hour drive, but the vision I had from the moment I saw it outweighed the time, effort and cost to get it. I contacted the seller and was on my way.
Home
A couple hours later it sat home in my studio, but not for long.
Is it even going to work?
I had no idea if it was going to work or not, but I took a chance. The first thing I did, was flip it over on its face to see if it will be possible for it to hold a painting flat against the opening. A ledge had to be cut and sanded flat on the backside of the wood to support a painting. It looked like there was enough wood there to work with, but getting a router in there wasn’t an option. My Dremels were shot, so off I went to purchase a new rotary tool at Home depot.
Making this natural frame was risky and a lot of work, but it came out beautifully.
The Sketch
I sketched the layout from a photograph that I took of a Great Horned Owl family in Ann Arbor, Michigan a few years ago. I then cut a piece of watercolor board to fit the opening (11.5” circle). After transferring some of the lines to the board it was ready for paint.
Trying it on for size
Checking the fit and composition. Looks good to me. Lets paint…
Roughing it in
Some quick watercolor washes to start with.
Staring at a white board can feel a bit intimidating,
so I try to add some color as quickly as I can.
The Details
It’s like watching it come to life with each stroke of the brush.
Going back and adding in the details is the best part of painting.
The Final Painting
My vision became reality.
A beautiful 3-dimensional (3D) wall hanging.
If you’re looking for a very unique, one of-a-kind, original piece of art
for your home, office or cabin this is truly the one to consider.
“The only question I have now is whose house will it hang in? Mine or yours?”
Click on the image for a better view.
Approximate dimensions: 20” W by 44” T with an 11” diameter opening.
(SALE Price: $1,150 local pick up only. Contact me if you are interested).