scrappy owls

Once, when I was quite small, I heard an owl outside my window.  We were at our house in the mountains (long since sold and heartily missed), and my mother came into my room to wake me up.  It felt like the middle of the night, but was probably closer to 9 pm.  She had an air of excitement about her as she sat on the bed next to me and told me to listen.  I remember it keenly, the hush of night, the quivering stillness of the room, and the solemn "hoo hoo hoo" from the trees outside.  I never saw that owl, but I imagine he looked something like this:

Artist Ann Wood makes these creatures using wonderfully varied pieces of found fabric, from Victorian waistcoats to World War I army blankets.  They each have a name (Iago, above, and Chillingworth, below, are my favs) and stand about 9" tall.  Her blog also includes photos of works in progress.

via beachbungalow8