#219 – Home Range

Perched on a nest of intertwined grass and wheat, we see the elegant form of a Barn Owl. Interestingly, and despite its striking image, the Barn Owl does not defend its territory like other owls. Instead, the Barn Owl returns to a zone referred to as its “home range”. The home range is where they roost, hunt, and raise their young.

The owl sits against the backdrop of a foggy morning, which is painted using a gradient method in titanate white and green. The wing feathers are painted in layers of deep orange and rust coloured pigments; rich brown and milky white flecks run throughout. Soft tints of heavy-body white paint were used to achieve the glowing head and face, which appear illuminated against the woody tones of the body plumage. Juxtaposed against these white feathers, the owl’s carbon black eyes emit a soft glimmer of light.