Sharon Schafer
"Eyes of Warning: Great Horned Owl in Joshua Tree" (2022)
Oil on clayboard
Courtesy of the artist

Artist Statement:
At dusk of another wind-blown Mojave day, a great horned owl perches in a grand old Joshua tree in Wee Thump Wilderness. Soon she will begin her hunt through the fading light and on into the familiar darkness of the night. It is here, in the desert night, with her excellent vision and extraordinary hearing that she excels at hunting. Often perching high she will suddenly swoop down on silent wings to capture unsuspecting prey such as rabbits and hares, rats, mice in her fierce unforgiving talons.