The wire

oil on canvas, 50×50 cm – 2025

Do owls have nightmares too?

Inspired by Botticelli’s “Man of Sorrows” and by the fact my wrists and forearms have been in faint but almost constant pain for about ten years now. It’s manageable with physical therapy and occasional anti-inflammatory cycles, but there seems to be no clear explaination for it, save that my ulnar bones are slightly shorter than they should be and I’m susceptible to various forms of tendonitis (I’ve had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands, and as I was painting this I was dealing with a mild form of trigger finger). There seem to be no neurological issues either, it really is a puzzle. I just hope it never gets to the point it prevents me from drawing or painting.

The model is an anthro long-eared owl with a plumage that’s slightly whiter than average, but still well within the pattern variation space for her species.

Below: original sketch and digitally altered sketch ready for transfer to the canvas. The head was drawn separatedly, as I often do.

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