A blow to the eye has brought an end to the modelling career of one of my favourite subjects. It took me three-and-a-half years to get this wild tawny owl to the point where he will now feed from my bird table and perch obligingly on artfully arranged branches in the garden. The picture below is one I painted when he was at the height of his career.
I don't know quite what he's been up to, perhaps he was knocked by a car or he may have been in a scuffle, but it looks like I'm going to have to start looking for another model now.For tips on how I go about 'training' my wild models, take a look at the latest issue of The Journal, where I have 'bared all' Click here to link to The Journal
