The Owl and the Granddaughter

I used a fine line permanent marker to sketch the owl on the muslin...I'm starting with the head and you can see I put the directional lines for the feathers in with a pencil.. I do them one section at a time because the pencil will smear. I love the barn owl's heart-shaped face and the ruff of feathers around the face. It has the most beautiful plumage..

Of course even though I have hundred of skeins of DMC cotton I never have the right colors for what I want.. Had to stop at Joanne's to pick up 5 more... Urgggggggggg....

Here is my lovely all-grown-up granddaughter Madison... It was actually a car deposit rather than a bonafide visit and she only was here one night... She graduated from NAU at Flagstaff, Arizona with a degree in hotel management and hospitality so she had all her life's belongings jammed into her little car. Since she is now on her way to the Netherlands to do a semester of study there, she had to do something with her car and all her things until January.....Grandma to the rescue!!!

Everything was taken out of the car, sorted and repacked and of course, Morris was only too ready to help (and pose).

Her friend Emily (on right) also just graduated and made the road trip with Madi.... Emily will fly home from Seattle and prepare for her new job as an environmental educator in SC.... Both sweet and lovely and even though the time was short I was grateful for it AND of course it means I'll get to see her again when she comes to collect her car in January... which hopefully won't be snowed in.