Spring is in the air, around the corner. Well, I guess only in the air since there is still snow on the ground where I live.But that is not stopping us from looking forward to warmer temperatures and running around in Central Park. Speaking of my favorite place to unwind, word got around that several wild animals have been spotted in the park of late including coyotes, crazy little raccoons and owls.

I became recently fascinated by owls due to their distinctive behaviour and features and varied looks. Hey, they are cute! These handsome little birds became the inspiration for my latest little painting I completed last night, “Do You Think Spring is Here?“. What most folks don’t realize that many groups of owls are suffering critical declines in population. In Malaysia for example, a recent news story reported that owl poaching is on the rise – particularly for trade and for hunting purposes. A high level raid that exposed a wild-meat trend operation centering on owls fortunately raised awareness to such illegal practices. So our little hooting friends are in danger and we take note. Give a hoot.