I met a juvenile great horned owl, early evening in the cedars by my studio. There were two young owls, but this one was watching me watch them while the other pretended to ignore me. They both stayed near that hollow tree for a few more days after this first time I saw them, but then they were gone, heading out on their own as young adults.

Not long after that, the hollow tree was also gone, except some pieces on the ground. It fell during a windstorm.

This painting was exhibited at the Artists for Conservation 2024 annual juried exhibit at Van Dusen Gardens in September 2024, and will be in the virtual exhibit until September 2025. .