The story of the bird
A Great Horned Owl sits low on a bare branch, head turned, those feathered ear tufts sharp against the light. The palette is warm and quiet. Bracken golds and umber browns, the soft cream ground of the old plates holding it all together.
The gold stare is the thing you remember.
The print
A fine-art print in the Audubon tradition, drawn in the style of the great hand-coloured plates and rendered for the wall of a modern home. The detail is close and patient. Barred breast feathers, the heavy talons gripping the branch, the wide gold stare. Printed on archival paper to hold its colour for decades.
Paper and finish
Unframed prints come on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, a heavyweight archival cotton rag with a soft matte surface that suits the muted, earthy tones beautifully.
The framed option is printed on Enhanced Matte 200gsm, then mounted and glazed in a classic moulding. Choose black, white or natural. The framed print is not Hahnemühle, but it arrives ready to hang.
Sizes
Three sizes: 8x10, 16x20 and 24x30. Prints from $39. Framed from $99.
How to hang it
The owl’s warm brown and umber tones reward a quiet, intimate spot. Try a landing, a study, or a reading corner where a low lamp can pick out the gold of the eyes after dark.
A dark grey or black moulding sets off the pale ground and lets the warm feathers come forward. Gold suits a richer, more traditional room.
Hang it a touch lower than usual, at seated eye level. This is a bird you want to meet, not look up to.
About the bird
The Great Horned Owl is one of North America’s most widespread and powerful owls, found from Arctic tree lines to South American rainforest. Those prominent tufts are not ears at all but feathers, and its true ears, hidden in the facial disc, let it hunt by sound alone. A nocturnal predator with an extraordinary grip, it takes prey from mice to skunks and even other raptors. Its deep, soft hoot is the classic sound of a woodland night.
The most patient hunter in the wood, and the most still.
Full field guide: /species/great-horned-owl/
