Night Shift by Craig Hone

"I spent much of my youth wandering in the wilderness of Utah on foot and on horseback. It was there that I developed my lifelong love and appreciation of animals large and small. As I grew as an artist, it was only natural that these amazing creatures would become the subject of most of my works.

Night Shift was inspired by a chance encounter with a Barn Owl swooping low over my head on a warm evening's walk.

The 'swoosh' of the wings in the air lit an artistic spark that eventually became the sculpture.

I strive to express, through the sculpted form, more than just a physical depiction of my subjects. While I do spend endless hours doing research and anatomy studies, my main focus in on capturing the life, personality and spirit of the animal. The design, movement and expression of Night Shift was worked out in a same-size clay rendition first, allowing me to make modifications before moving on to the carving stage.

Night Shift was meticulously hand carved out of wood and painted with oils. This gives the piece the soft, warm look and feel that live barn owls possess." – CRAIG NEIL HONE