I spent 11 years living in Israel, and as part of my career in the army I traveled to the Sinai desert where I came into contact with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and symbols. The beauty of these symbols fascinated me and often influences my work.
In this piece, I used the Egyptian image of wings raised forward, crescent-shaped,
on top of Scarab beetles or vultures. To me, this has always been a symbol
of blessing, the same gesture given by priests while blessing the congregation.
As human population continues to encroach upon the habitat of wildlife, as is evidenced here on Camano Island where I currently live, I wanted an image of protest.
With stark beauty, yet sad spiritual poignancy, the owl that has just been startled by a human passerby, rises up and over, yet holds its wings forward in blessing. Maybe not so much a blessing as a prayer of despair.
