We received the press copy of SPIRIT QUEST today! How excited could an artist be, after months of work, the final result is PERFECT! We are delighted! Book launch in the works, but it's green light for pre-sales :: click the following link to preview pages of the book and place your order today!

Spirit Quest by Bob MacKenzie and Sharlena Wood

Spirit Quest

poems by Bob MacKenziepaintings and charcoal drawings by Sharlena Wood

In Canada’s Rocky Mountains and the ranges to the west, toward the Pacific coast, there is a palpable spirit that’s impossible to resist. In these places, one cannot help but feel the presence of a greater power that need not be named. Those who travel here return changed to the far places from whence they came. Some never return. Enthralled by the beauty and power of these mountains, they settle in for the remainder of their lives. Though it hadn’t been their plan, others return again and again. Those born in their shadow carry in their hearts the mountain spirit and never forget, no matter where their lives may take them. The poems in this book explore a boy’s experience of this spirit as recalled a half-century later by the man he had become. Created by an artist who has also been among these mountains and felt their spirit around her, the accompanying images express her own experience of these places.

Burrowing OwlPopulation - fewer than 1000 pairs estimated in CanadaCharcoal on Paper 9"x12" • Prints available hereThe burrowing owl, distinguished by its very long legs and short tail, is one of the smallest owl species. It gets its name from nesting in burrows dug by animals such as ground squirrels, badgers and prairie dogs. Burrowing owls are also known as “Howdy Owls” because of their habit of bobbing up and down in a bowing motion, a behaviour that likely allows them to determine distance from multiple viewpoints. Young owls in the nest make a rattling sound similar to rattlesnakes to ward off predators.Burrowing owls were historically found in the grasslands of central and southwestern Canada, central and southern United States and Mexico, and South America. In Canada, the burrowing owl has virtually disappeared from Manitoba and British Columbia. Throughout their remaining range, they exist in greatly diminished numbers in isolated fragments. Fewer than 1,000 pairs are thought to exist in Canada.