Owl

This semester students were prompted to think about animals that are native to the Fremont area and Ohlone College Campus. The plan was to make animals out of clay and have some portions of them mosaiced. As a class, we discussed various animals and project ideas. Three animals were chosen and students decided which group they wanted to work on: the owl for its wisdom and perceptiveness, the snail for the beauty of small creatures that you only seem to notice when you slow down (and we should all slow down and observe the world) and the steelhead trout which is endangered in Northern California. The evening class joined in on this project with Professor Jennifer Brazelton. One student made a turtle with eggs and a thermometer. His work is about global warming and how it effects the sex of the babies and another student focused on the Ohlone tiger beetle.

It's great to see the massive owl and trunk installation on my way to work. I feel like the owl's eyes follows me when I walk. I can't believe I was a part of this installation. It was a learning experience to work in a group. I've been getting a lot of compliments from students and staff. They all say we are lucky to be a part of Katie's project to make Ohlone beautiful.

When the project was first introduced to us and we were asked to consider native animals my first thought was some sort of bird just because I have a mild obsession with birds (specifically predator birds) and collect their feathers. Barn owls are one of my favorites and I just find them to be inherently majestic and hauntingly beautiful so it was my suggestion for the project. I think the cool thing about owls is that they're nocturnal so most students wouldn't necessarily see one on campus and yet we know they are around, so maybe our piece is a reminder of the nature that we are surrounded by.

We decided to make handmade tiles, eyes, roots for the trunk to make the surface and from interesting. That was the best decision we made because all that elevated the piece to the next level. Using handmade tiles and commercial tiles together made the surface so much interesting. We used some glass tiles and mirror as well for some shine and more variation on the surface.