Painting a Eurasian Eagle Owl: Why I Couldn't Resist Those Eyes

If you've been following me on social media, you'll have seen the rather intense pair of orange eyes staring back at you over the last few weeks.

They're attached to a Eurasian eagle owl that's currently sitting on my easel, and I have to admit, I'm completely obsessed with painting it.

People often ask how I choose what to paint, and the answer is nearly always the same.

Something catches me.

Sometimes it's the light. Sometimes it's an expression. Occasionally it's a bird that refuses to leave my head until I paint it.

This owl was definitely the third one.

I photographed him at a bird sanctuary in County Antrim a few years ago, and although I've painted plenty of birds since then, I kept coming back to that photograph. Those huge orange eyes seemed to look straight through me.

I knew one day I'd have to paint him.

Why paint a Eurasian eagle owl?

I've always loved birds with a bit of character, and this one has it in spades.

Eurasian eagle owls are among the largest owls in the world, but it isn't their size that grabs me. It's their expression.

Unlike us, an owl can't move its eyes around. They're fixed in place, which means when it looks at you, it really looks at you. If it wants to see something else, it has to turn its whole head.

I think that's why they have such an incredible presence.

Bringing him to the exhibition before he was finished

Most artists only show finished work.

I decided to do the exact opposite.

When I exhibited at Through the Looking Glass at the Christchurch Arts Centre, I took this painting with me even though it was only half finished.

I loved seeing people's reactions.

Instead of looking at a completed painting, they could see how it was coming together. We chatted about the layers, the decisions, and why I always begin with the eyes.

For me, the eyes have to work before anything else does.

If they don't feel alive, the painting never will.

Where I'm up to now

At the moment, the eyes and the feathers around the face are almost finished, while the rest of the owl is still slowly emerging from the black paper.

That's one of the things I love about working in soft pastel on a dark background. Rather than adding shadows to white paper, I'm building the light, little by little.

It's still very much a work in progress, but that's part of the excitement.

I'm never in a rush to finish a painting. I'd much rather let it develop at its own pace than force it just to tick a box on the calendar.

I'll keep sharing updates as it comes to life, and once it's finished it'll be available to buy as an original. If there's enough interest, I may also release it as a limited edition print.

For now though... it's back to the easel.