Celtic Owl
After seeing a piece of jewellery with an owl on it, I got this idea to carve a Celtic Owl. Birds of Prey have fascinated me since I was a kid in juniors. I and a friend were scared witless by a Peregrin falcon which swooped down and took a couple of sparrow chicks from only a few feet away from where I was sitting in the playground. All we heard was a great commotion of wings and the screech of the chicks before the Peregrin took to the skies with its prey. Barn owls are a particular favourite and I’m privileged to be able to watch them at a nearby reserve if I can get up early enough to go and see them. I’m also greatly influenced by Celtic art, so the amalgamation of the two seems only appropriate to me.
The owl is carved out of Tulipwood and the time it took to cut out the knotwork was difficult but rewarding. After a long process of sanding all the nooks and crannies, I eventually was able to polish it and finish it in danish oil. I particularly like the way the tail shows off the feathering in the grain.
