Celtic Barn Owl Artwork

Beautiful Celtic-inspired barn owl art print...

Barn Owl & Hellebore - Celtic-inspired art by Lotti Brown

My barn owl artwork is inspired by the beautiful and ethereal snowy-white barn owls that we often see in the fields near home.

​In late winter, we sometimes see them around dawn and dusk – but sometimes, even in full daylight, quartering the fields and hunting for mice to feed their chicks, recently hatched.

Barn owl (not in the wild)

Even in sunlight the barn owl seems to have an otherworldly and somewhat ghostly presence – a pallor that’s outside of our everyday world.

In folklore, the owl is often associated with the Otherworld and darkness – but also with being clear-sighted, all-knowing, and wise.

The owl is associated with the goddess of wisdom – Athena in the Greek tradition, Sulis in the Celtic tradition, and Minerva for the Romans. Sulis was the Celtic goddess of justice, echoing the perception of the owl’s knowing wisdom.
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In the Celtic legend the ‘Quest for Olwen’, the owl is encountered as one of the five oldest beasts on Earth, symbolising the owl’s ancient knowledge and enduring wisdom.

Starting to draw my barn owl in pen

In Scotland, the owl is the ‘Cauilleach-oidche gheal’ – “the white old woman of the night” – and is often associated with the ‘crone’ or ‘old-woman’ aspect of the Celtic triple goddess, or the ‘Cailleach’ who was the Gaelic goddess of winter…
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Winter was a time viewed by the Celts not just as a time of the death of the old year but equally the rebirth of the new.

I actually drew two versions of my owl - I think the one on the right will work better with the Celtic knots I'm planning to add.

So the owl represents a time of transition – a maturing, a gaining of wisdom – a time when you might experience the ending of a particular, familiar way of living or thinking…

​But equally so, the intellect, wisdom and clear-sightedness of the owl is to allow you to step forward into a new way of thinking or a new way of life – a rebirth.

Barn owl drawing with colour added with pen and markers

The owl represents a clarity of understanding of oneself and one’s situation – the intellect and wisdom to see true, and the patience and determination to travel through the dark of winter to achieve the light of a new start in order to reach one’s true potential.
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My barn owl is paired with Hellebore flowers, traditionally associated with clear-mindedness and intelligence – and even, through its evergreen foliage and the new buds appearing in late winter or spring, the idea of rebirth. 

Showing detail from the barn owl Celtic artwork

​The hellebore was sometimes linked with the magical power of invisibility – a power that the beautiful barn owl seems also to share!

I draw out my Celtic knots freehand on squared paper, then trace them neatly. Next, I can scan them into the computer to become part of my artwork...

The drawing is scanned into the computer and I start creating!

Adding the hellebore flowers to the design

Adding the knotwork and tweaking the colours

More colourwork and deciding to go with a dark background instead

I work digitally with my drawings in Adobe Illustrator to create the artwork - click the images above to see them larger...

Barn owl and Hellebore with Celtic knotwork - art by Lotti Brown

I created my Celtic barn owl at a time when life held big changes for me – health, personal loss, finances, and creativity. Creating her, and meditating on how we can use our own personal wisdom – our own intuition – to guide us through life’s trials so that we can aim to emerge older, stronger, and wiser on the other side…

A rebirth of our own selves as well as of situation.

May my barn owl bring you clarity, wisdom, and maturity, as well as the patience and determination to step into a new way of being...

Where to Buy

Buy my Celtic Barn Owl artwork as an archival-quality fine art print in my online store with worldwide delivery.

Celtic Barn Owl art print

She's also available printed onto a wide range of products, home decor and accessories including curtains, duvet sets, throw blankets, mugs, bags, T-shirts, phone cases, coasters and more at Redbubble....

​Again, worldwide delivery is available and Redbubble can take care of any potential customs charges for you...

Celtic owl floor cushion - click to see...

Celtic owl women's t-shirt - click to see...

Celtic owl bag - click to see...

Celtic owl phone case - click to see...

Shop Celtic Barn Owl Arty Things Here...

You can see more of my bird, nature and wildlife art in my online print store here...

​Or you can browse my online stockists for more product ideas - also find my Celtic Barn Owl below:

• Redbubble
• Society6
• Contrado
• Etsy
• Artscase
• Displate

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