Trent Gallery
Watercolor painting of an Owl

One Great Gray Owl

Deborah Trent, 2024 · Watercolor on paper

Great Gray Owls inhabit the forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Known for their exceptional vision, owls are often seen as messengers—urging us to look beyond what’s immediately apparent. In many traditions, a sighting is associated with times of transition.

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Inspiration

Gray owls symbolize wisdom, intuition, and guidance—and are sometimes regarded as messengers from the spirit world.

Artistic Process

My first gallery piece was an owl. I’m still amazed by their feathering; I layer strokes with several sizes of round brushes and use a grainer/rake brush for fine detail. For the background, I lifted and smudged color with a paper towel to create soft variation.

  • Brushes: Round 1, 2; grainer/rake; SNAP! 1" Stroke.
  • Paints: Lunar Black, Joseph Z’s Warm Grey, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow, Titanium White, Sepia, Yellow Ochre, Van Dyke Brown.

Reflections

Owls can’t turn their heads a full 360 degrees, but they can rotate about three-quarters of the way to look over a shoulder. Even if you don’t live near northern woods, it’s never a bad idea to invite one of these wise owls into your home.