Barn Owl ~ "Shadows of the Sky" ~ Pastel Lovebirds Anhingas lack the waterproofing oils

Anhingas lack the waterproofing oils that other waterbirds have — that's why they must spread their wings to dry after every dive

they are the largest herons in North America and the undisputed rulers of any shoreline they occupy

Rhode Island studio

The warm reds of the tail feathers are the painting's emotional center — a flash of unexpected color on a bird most people see only as a dark shape against the sky

This painting pairs one with an evergreen branch

Barn Owl ~ "Shadows of the Sky" ~ Pastel Lovebirds Anhingas lack the waterproofing oilsThis barn owl pastel painting is a departure from my watercolor work and one of the most striking pieces in my studio. Barn owls have a face like no other bird: that heart shaped disc, the dark eyes, the ghostly white feathers that make them look like they belong to a different world. I wanted to capture that otherworldly quality in pastel, a medium that lets me build the soft, smoky textures of owl plumage in ways watercolor doesn't. Working in