Female snowy owls tend to have a lot more barring in their plumage than the males. This is probably because they are the ones who sit on the nest, often with little or no cover, and need to be as invisible to predators as possible. Rather than putting the owl into a scene where she dramatically sticks out like a sore thumb, I chose to portray her in a more realistic setting where you can see just how effective her plumage can be.

This was without a doubt the most difficult piece I've ever done as the actual drawing time of 1,014 hours will attest to. Seriously! There are bazillions of textures and shades and patterns that made me bananas at times but I would do it all again in a heart beat. I hope you enjoy it and be sure to let me know what you think.

"Spring Thaw" was featured in a Birds In Art Exhibit at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and won numerous Best of Show awards. It is available as a signed and numbered limited edition of 650 prints.