Mark Madden has long viewed owls as “mystical and magical,” inspiring him to create compelling photographs and wood carvings. The new Valley Artisans Market artist finds the raptors’ charismatic expressions and calls to be an endless source of fascination. “Owls are associated with spirituality, wisdom, and omens in many cultures,” he notes, including Greece, where the owl symbolizes Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

Madden’s carvings are lifelike, painstakingly executed images that capture these birds in their full magnificence. He believes his carvings have benefited from his years of studying and photographing owls in the field. His photographs are available both as framed prints and smaller cards and feature many different varieties. One, a Red Screech Owl, peers out of its knothole against the full moon while a Snowy Owl perches on a rocky coastline by a lighthouse.

Madden travels all over New England and New York State in search of his subjects. Last year, he went to northern Maine to get pictures of a Northern Hawk Owl and last winter found him in Canada, where he saw several Short-eared Owls and Barred Owls. He’s also a regular at the Washington County, NY grasslands, where Short-eared Owls and Snowy Owls (in winter) abound.

“It’s an adventure taking pictures of owls,” Madden says. Often heard at night but rarely seen, they’re elusive because they don’t like to be around humans. “They are usually sleeping during the day, so you have to wait until evening for them to wake up and open their eyes.” The next challenge is getting them out of their nest hole. He eschews using calls because that can disturb and attract other owls that may be predators. Instead, he just waits patiently. Owls are most active late at night and in the early morning, giving him an hour’s window of good light. But sometimes he faces the technical challenge of nocturnal photography, which means multi-second exposures in nearly complete darkness.

Madden’s studio is in his home in Bennington, VT, with one room devoted entirely to woodcarving. “Then I take over the kitchen table to paint my birds,” he says. “It’s always a challenge to get a nice, soft look.” He uses an airbrush and light washes to slowly build up the colors.

With a graphic arts background, Madden worked in the printing industry for many years. He is largely self-taught, poring over books and also taking seminars from other carvers to learn different techniques. “The best thing, though, is studying the birds directly in the wild. Nothing is better than seeing the bird in its natural setting,” he says.

Accordingly, Madden asks that if you see owls in your area, contact him if you’re willing to let him come over and photograph them: obsessedwithowls@comcast.net.

– Nancy Roberts