This portrait of a Barn owl was inspired by a visit to Maplewood Flats in North Van this Summer, where an injured, captive Barn Owl was on display. It was fascinating to see such a creature close up and to examine her feathers. The painting is on a substrate I've been experimenting with (canvas and dress making pattern tissue) and rather than crop the final piece, I mounted it with the raw edges visible on a primed birch panel. The final result suggests a relic or ancient fragment - particularly poignant when Barn Owls are struggling for survival in Canada.