Dried Sunflower #5, charcoal and watercolor on paper, 79 x 61"

“It’s really all about world building for me as the landscape becomes a much stronger component in these images. These images offer deeper explorations of space and ideas,” he says. “They’re also sort of romantic because I can step into the settings being created. They are part imagination, part Old Master landscapes. I can step inside and look around and find new places to discover.”

Athena, charcoal and water mounted on deep canvas, 41 x 29½"

“Tyler’s works are pure magic that present quiet, atmospheric scenes of owls and hawks in their natural habitat,” says Joi Jackson Perle, RJD’s gallery director. “There is a mysterious, intimate quality to the birds themselves; their piercing eyes let us see them not just as wildlife but as individuals each with their own unique beauty. To render these creatures in charcoal in such stunning and incredible detail is truly a bit of wizardry.”

Magoo, charcoal and water on deep mounted canvas, 42 x 56"

In Magoo, Vouros perches an owl in front of a scene that might appear in a painting by English painter Grimshaw, who was known for his evocative nocturnes of barren landscapes, harbor scenes and quiet street views. “Those works blow me away. He created a world worth exploring, so when I get inside my painting I just have a conversation with these artists I see as monoliths in the world of art,” the artist says. “Mostly, though, I want to give these birds places to live, which is where the landscapes come in.”

Rooney, charcoal and water on deep mounted canvas, 15 x 22"

The process for the works is not additive, as in creating fresh marks on white paper, but reductive, as in he creates a dark charcoal base and subtracts from it with erasers and other tools. This reductive process is the same method as stone sculpture, albeit, unlike stone, Vouros can always add more charcoal to create more depth of light or added detail. 

Lila (Eurasian Eagle Owl), charcoal and water on deep mounted canvas, 90 x 56"

While the process is unique to his work, he views the birds as the “secret sauce” to what he’s creating. He spends a lot of time in bird sanctuaries and credits the work of wildlife educator Jane Kelly as an influence on his bird pieces. “When I first started going into bird enclosures it was really important for me because it was a unique opportunity to slow things way down. I could just go at my own pace and really look at the birds and study their forms and how light falls on them,” Vouros says. “I approached it like a portrait artist and how they look at their subjects. Going slow like that and spending time with the birds gave me the added element of control, which allowed me to really study them.”

Lila, charcoal and water mounted on deep canvas, 30 x 22"

He notes that some birds, especially injured birds that are wild and would likely be returned to nature, were sometimes aggressive and territorial, which allowed him to see characters in each bird. Other subjects, such as birds that could not be returned to the wild, were often used in educational programming so they were more comfortable around guests in their enclosures. Both offered him insight for his pieces.

Kingston (Great Grey Owl), charcoal and water on deep mounted canvas, 55 x 35"

These interactions colored Vouros’ view that each of the birds have personalities, which is reflected in each of his works. He points to the bird called Lila, which is a Eurasian eagle owl. “When you go into that enclosure, you know right away that you are in the presence of an amazing creature and you know she has to be treated with a certain way,” he adds. “With those talons and that huge wingspan, she gets respect.”