It’s always an exciting challenge for an artist to show different facets of a subject. I was determined to show fierce will to survive as well as the vulnerability and beauty of these two barn owls.
I deviated from the original reference image, changing expressions and the composition. I also transformed a bright daytime image to a dramatic chiaroscuro. I was determined to show their beauty and deadliness and to convey a sense of tension. After the kill, one of them feeds, thus becoming vulnerable, so the other watches out for danger.
The painting has a timeless, almost Baroque feel and would make a wonderful focal point for any wall.