The OWL is a POWERFUL image and I use it all the time in my work.

The form of the OWL itself is very conducive to teaching the principles of drawing.

The direction quickly create an engaging and intense gaze, drawing both the student and the observer in.

By Aug 24, I’ll have led approx 225 people ages 10-92 through the O.W.L. drawing exercise since June 2!  It’s not just about drawing… It’s about paying attention to the inner critic and anxiety, about empathy. Connection.  It’s about observe/wait/listen and reflective listening.  We share the room, use the same tools, hear the same instructions, all equal, and yet delight in all the differences.

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” – Henry David Thoreau

The OWL often appears in my personal work-

“Wrapped up in yourself like a spool, Trawling your dark, as owls do.” – Sylvia Plath