I cannot deny my love for owls. I carry a photograph of one in my wallet and look at it whenever I need courage or if I'm in a bad mood -- I glance at my little owl and the world is all better again. Don't laugh, I love carrying around little tokens that reel me back in whenever I'm feeling a little out of balance. Something about owls in particular really captivates me. When I was little my mother took me regularly to this beautiful sculpture park and garden in South Carolina near our house called Brookgreen Gardens. It was my absolute favorite place to go, especially because it had a small zoo where I would spend hours admiring the owls. I would stand before them perched high in their tree and imagine what they were thinking, what they did when the zoo closed, if they understood what I said as I spoke to them. I always felt tremendous peace looking at them, the great horned owls were my favorites...

It's no surprise why today I'm still very much a lover of owls. I'm always interested when I find others who have been inspired enough by owls to photograph them or include these gorgeous birds into their artwork or pattern designs, like artist and graphic designer Sidsel Gaustadnes from the Spagat blog and shop.

A card Sidsel designed that will soon be in her shop... no owls here but look closely at what it says. It's a riot but many a truth is told in jest!

Doesn't this arrangement look so sweet? These are paintings by Sidsel and her studiomate Line Juhl Hansen. Line is a professional artist and freelance architect who has a lovely blog here and an Etsy shop. I'd love to own a painting from Line or Sidsel.

Do you like owls too? If not, what do you enjoy seeing in artwork that gives you good memories of times past? I love owls, birds in general, and girls - fashion illustrations, abstract paintings of women, and of course florals... I never tire of flowers.

(images from Sidsel Gaustadnes)