The Stare (Owl Moon VI)

Halloween is a summer away, but any time of year is a good time for me to celebrate two of my favorite things: owls and the Moon. This is a long running series that I return to when I feel like it. I recently took note of the boxes of Prismacolor pencils in my studio closet that hadn’t been touched in years and thought why not? There are less used colors in there from high school (cringe).

While I obviously took a lot of artistic liberty with it, this mixed media piece was inspired by an actual owl encounter in Tecolote Canyon. If you live in San Diego, you may know that this lovely park is on the other side of the 5 from Mission Bay and Sea World. I plan on paying a pair there a visit today and seeing if I can’t find an owlet or two. They were definitely nesting when this male eyed me sternly.

Robin Street-Morris. The Stare (Owl Moon VI). Transparent watercolor, colored pencil and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 13” x 13” (33 x 33cm).

Please click or tap on the image of the art if you’d like to own a print.

Black Widow Moon

We have more than a few Western black widow spiders living in the yard. Their erratically woven webs betray their presence. Sometimes I catch glimpses of them like I did late yesterday afternoon, a female and a male. He was brown and roughly half her size. As is the case with most wild animals, they wished to be left alone and scuttled back into their homes when I got too close for their comfort. In addition to having intrinsic value, they prey on insects like cockroaches, mosquitoes and flies.

The original painting is available. Prints may be purchased by clicking on the image.

Happy Year-round Halloween…

—Robin Street-Morris

Robin Street-Morris. Black Widow Moon. 2020. Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 140lb hot press paper. 12" x 18" (30 x 46cm).

Musing over birds

Occasionally, I make paintings in response to memorable encounters I’ve had with particular birds while spending time in nature. My goal is to capture the essence of these moments in my art rather than document them.

Some of these pieces are available; please contact me if you’re interested. Prints of any of them may be purchased after clicking on an image. Thanks for supporting living artists.

—Robin Street-Morris

Barred Owl Moon. Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 13" x 21" (33 x 53cm).

Qui Vive. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on incised 300lb cold press paper. 9" x 14" (23 x 36cm).

Torrey Pine Remains with Raven. Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 12" x 17" (31 x 43cm).

Little Owl. Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 300lb incised hot press paper. 9" x 14" (23 x 36cm).

Reclamation (Santa Cruz Island Ravens). Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13" x 19" (33 x 48cm).

Crows Above Basilica. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 15" x 20" (38.10 x 50.80cm).

Oration. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 140lb cold press paper. 10" x 15" (25 x 38cm).

Los Peñasquitos Canyon VIII (the Swallows Return). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 13" x 19" (33 x 48cm).

Raven Pair with Diurnal Moon. 2015. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 13" x 19" (33 x 48cm).

Ocean of Glass with Seabirds. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13" x 20" (33 x 51cm).

Raven with Torrey Pine Branch and Cold Moon. Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 19" (36 x 48cm).

Unbounded (Crow Over Tijuana Estuary). Transparent watercolor with metallic gouache and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 12" x 19" (30 x 48cm).

Canyon Denizen II (Great Horned Owl with Eucalyptus Branch). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel with iridescent medium on 300lb cold press paper. 12" x 18" (30 x 48cm).

Departure (Crows at Dawn). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 140lb cold press paper. 13" x 19" (33 x 48cm).

Nesting Great Horned Owl. Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 12" x 21" (30 x 53cm).

Sentinel (Great Horned Owl in Cottonwood Tree). Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 16" x 21" (41 x 53cm).

Pueo Encounter (at Haleakalā National Park). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 20" (36 x 51cm).

Three Birds and Evening Star. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 19" (36 x 48cm).

Hunting Moon I (Great Horned Owl). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 140lb hot press paper. 8" x 13" (20 x 33cm)

Hunting Moon II. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 140lb hot press paper. 9" x 13" (23 x 33cm)

Hunting Moon III (Great Horned Owl). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 9" x 14" (23 x 36cm).

Hunting Moon IV (Great Horned Owl). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13" x 19" (33 x 48cm).

Hunting Moon V (Great Horned Owl). Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 13.5" x 20" (34 x 51cm).

Walking Among Barn Owls. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 20" (36 x 48cm).