Quilled Great Horned Owls

I made these two Quilled Great Horned Owls in June of 2015. They are two of the largest pieces I’ve ever created at a whopping 11″ x 14.”

The top image (below) is the owl that was commissioned for the Skidompha Library in Damariscotta, Maine. A woman that I know volunteers there and wanted to give them something to show her appreciation. Their “mascot” or “theme animal” is a Great Horned Owl.

Techniques

The biggest challenge to these owls was getting the shape of the owl sketched out in correct size and proportion on the background paper. I was worried that my pencil marks would show through, but they didn’t. On the second owl I erased the sketching under the more open areas of the tail feathers.

Both owls are 11″ x 14″ and made with 1/4″ quilling paper. They are mounted on 300gsm watercolor paper. A word to the wise about watercolor paper: it will yellow over time. I didn’t know this and even after spraying it with a UV acrylic protectant, the one I still have looks more like it’s on a cream background than white all these years later. BTW – the second owl is for sale and is on my Etsy shop. He doesn’t come with a frame, but I can tell you where to buy one to fit him perfectly.

Back to techniques… these were both created with basic quilling techniques. Tight coils, fringing, teardrops, etc. I did a lot of wrapping to give some of the teardrops more definition.

WIP Progression

You’ll have to excuse the poor image quality, but at the time I was taking photos in low light with a crappy cell phone! LOL

See something on my site that you like? I am currently accepting commissions. Contact me for details. Or, if you’d prefer browsing my already-created, ready-to-ship artwork, head on over to my Etsy shop and see what’s on the shelves.

Clearance Artwork for Sale on Etsy