Before you flipped to this page, you probably noticed our illustrated cover. It’s evocative of a simpler holiday season of yore, before the consumerism and capitalism drove us to the egg nog, before we ever knew that our party-hardy brother-in-law existed, and back when the idea of “holiday dinner” provoked thoughts of eating said dinner instead of the logistics of its preparation. Once upon a time, there were just some happy holiday owls.
Warwick illustrator Zoë Anderson gave us this inspiring moment to enjoy. Upon receiving the art, Motif wondered, what did the owls mean? Could it be an allusion to Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy, granting wisdom to lost souls who struggle to fi nd their place in the holiday season? Or perhaps a more contemporary reference to Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, owls of Harry Potter fame? Or the Twin Peaks owls, whooo are not what they seem?
“I really just like drawing owls,” Anderson shared.
“I wanted to represent the many different types of gifts that can be given, whether it’s something you bought, something you found, a piece of art you made or an experience,” she elaborated. “I wanted to make something non-stressful – I feel like a lot of people are stressed out looking for gifts.”
Anderson also said she enjoyed the holidays herself, and looked forward to seeing her family in East Greenwich, Providence, and Narragansett and going on their annual holiday stroll.
