The Northern Spotted Owl in Canada 2006. Oil on 16 panels. Each panel is the same height, width, and weight as a spotted owl.

The Northern Spotted Owl is the most critically endangered animal in Canada. In 2006, as few as 16 individual birds remained in British Columbia. That year, the provincial government decided to reopen logging in the old-growth forests where the last 16 remaining owls resided. While the owl may have been protected, their habitat was not, regardless of their designation and policy protection as a critically endangered species. To speak about this issue, I made 16 panels. Each panel is the same height, width, and weight as a spotted owl. I timed the first painting to its full completion, then reduced the next painting by 10%, the rate scientists gave for the yearly overall decline of the species. Each subsequent panel was further reduced by 10%. Together, the individual panels share the story of the species’ decline. This work was completed in 2006. In 2024, it is estimated that one or two owls remain in the wild. The rate of decrease modeled by the scientist was, sadly, accurate.