A colorful painting of an owl wearing glasses, a top hat, and a bow tie, with a squirrel riding on its wing, in a forest with trees, flowers, and two people sitting on a bench in the background.

Hawk & Squirrel’s Adventures

Adventures told by a grandmother. Magical realism paintings from a world where an unlikely friendship travels through impossibly beautiful places.

Where This World Began

Someone asked me once when I felt total acceptance and unconditional love. Without thinking, I said: my grandmother. Her garden. The way she told me stories for hours as I kept asking her for more. As I was telling this to the woman in front of me, a hawk landed on the fence beside us. He didn't move the whole time we talked. He just... stayed and looked at us.

It reminded me of another moment, years earlier, in a coaching session, as my client was sharing how she was tired of being so serious and responsible and wanted to be more playful and have more joy in her life, we saw a hawk and a squirrel play together outside. Not fight. Play.

Those two moments arrived in my imagination together. And in a single flood, this whole world was born.

Hawk & Squirrel's Adventures is a magical realism collection about an unlikely friendship who travels together, makes music together, sings together, and finds beauty everywhere they land. In every painting, my grandmother is there, in one form or another, telling the story. Because none of this world exists without her.

In every paintings, find:

Close-up of a textured, circular object with red, black, purple, and blue speckles, resembling a painted or metallic surface.

Grandmother & granddaughter

Close-up of a glittery, iridescent surface with pastel shades of purple, blue, and green, and tiny reflective specks.

Music in water

Close-up of a textured, circular abstract artwork with vibrant pink, purple, and yellow hues on a dark background.

Hawk’s disguise

Close-up of a rusted, textured metal surface in reddish-brown and yellow hues.

Written lines

Close-up of a colorful, textured autumn leaf showing shades of orange, red, yellow, and purple.

Squirrel’s wardrobe

Close-up of a textured, circular surface covered in vibrant, multicolored powder in shades of purple, blue, pink, and yellow.

Real places, magical layers

Forest and Water Series

A magical realism painting of a squirrel on a hawk's back flying over a meadow filled with fireflies in daytime by Evelyne Verret.

Flight Over Firefly Meadow
24”x36”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

The first painting in the collection. A small victory dance for Squirrel and a very good disguise for Hawk. The fireflies were a surprise. I was happy!

Tea by the River, magical realism painting of a hawk in sunglasses and a squirrel in a top hat sharing tea by a river in a forest, by Evelyne Verret

Tea by the River
24”x36”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

After the flight, Hawk and Squirrel land by a river to catch their breath and their tea. Listen closely, there's music in the water.

Two Canoes, One Story, magical realism painting of a hawk steering a canoe with a squirrel rowing on a lilypad-filled river with a hummingbird, by Evelyne Verret

Two Canoes, One Story
24”x30”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Hawk takes the helm. Squirrel takes the oars. And a hummingbird arrives, because it wanted to be part of the story. I said ABSOLUTELY!

In the Wind at Sleeping Bear — magical realism painting of a squirrel kiteboarding while a hawk in sunglasses pulls the wind at Sleeping Bear Dunes, by Evelyne Verret

In the Wind at Sleeping Bear
30”x24”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Squirrel wanted to try kiteboarding. Hawk agreed to be the kite, watch the paper on the beach turn into waves.

An artistic painting of a forest scene with animals. There is a lion wearing a purple floral crown, an owl with glasses perched on a branch, and a squirrel wearing a hat and reading a newspaper near a small fire by a stream.

The Gathering
24”x24”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Around a campfire at the end of the day, Bear joins the friends for the very first time. Watch closely, the story being told is the world you're looking at.

Diptychs — A Day in Small Moments

Magical realism painting of a hawk with wings spread mid-flight, dropping an acorn into a green forest with pink and purple wildflowers, by Evelyne Verret.

Hawk Drops
11”x14”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

The first diptych in the collection. Hawk lets go of an acorn high above the forest. He has to trust Squirrel is there. He is.

Magical realism painting of a squirrel in a yellow coat leaping through a wildflower meadow to catch a falling acorn, by Evelyne Verret.

Squirrel Catches
11”x14”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

The first diptych in the collection. Hawk lets go of an acorn high above the forest. He has to trust Squirrel is there. He is.

Magical realism painting of a hawk wearing round eyeglasses, perched on a mossy tree branch reading a small book, by Evelyne Verret.

Hawk Reads
8”x10”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Midday. Hawk perched high in the tree with a book, and, unexpectedly, a pair of eyeglasses. Aren't hawks supposed to have perfect vision?

Magical realism painting of a squirrel in a yellow beret and blue shirt reading a book at the base of an ancient tree with a heart-shaped hollow, by Evelyne Verret.

Squirrel Reads
8”x10”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Squirrel reading in his yellow beret beneath the old tree with the heart-shaped hollow. He picked out the hat himself. It makes him look like an artist.

Magical realism painting of a hawk curled asleep beside a glowing campfire in a dark blue forest, surrounded by fireflies, by Evelyne Verret.

Hawk Dreams
8”x8”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on wood

Night. After a day of wonder and stories told, Hawk sleeps beside the campfire. The fireflies are awake, as if picking dreams for their friends.

Magical realism painting of a squirrel curled asleep beside a warm campfire in a starry blue forest, fireflies floating above him, by Evelyne Verret.

Squirrel Dreams
8”x8”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on wood

Squirrel curled up with his paw at his cheek. Whatever dream the fireflies chose for him, he took it.

Magical realism painting of a hawk with wings spread flying toward a glowing lantern on a mossy tree stump in a dark forest with fireflies, by Evelyne Verret.

Hawk Finds the Light
8”x8”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on wood

Deep night. A call woke him, or maybe it was a dream. Either way, he answered. And there, on a mossy stump, was a lantern waiting.

Magical realism painting of a squirrel in a top hat sitting before a glowing lantern on a mushroom-covered stump in a dark forest with fireflies, by Evelyne Verret.

Squirrel Finds the Light
8”x8”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on wood

Deep night. The other half of Hawk Finds the Light. Same night. Same call. Same kind of lantern, waiting for him on his own stump. He put his hat back on before he came.

Magical realism portrait of a young girl looking upward with a hawk emerging from her hair and a squirrel in a top hat on her shoulder, by Evelyne Verret.

Tell Me Again

8”x10”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

The granddaughter asks for the story again. Not a story. This one. Look closely, Hawk and Squirrel are already emerging in her hair.

Magical realism portrait of a grandmother looking down with soft eyes, a hawk in her hair and a squirrel in a top hat at her collar, by Evelyne Verret.

Where the Stories Come From
11”x14”x1.75” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Grandmother, looking down with the softness of someone who has told this story a hundred times. Hawk and Squirrel are also emerging in her hair.

The Musical Series

Magical realism painting of a squirrel playing a recorder on a sunflower leaf, a hawk landing on a swing to listen, and a grandmother and granddaughter tucked inside a large sunflower, by Evelyne Verret.

The Sunflower Serenade
20”x20”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Squirrel plays the recorder from a sunflower leaf. Hawk lands on his swing to listen. Look closely at who is tucked inside the big sunflower up front.

Magical realism painting of a hawk playing a golden harp on pink and blue clouds while a squirrel in a top hat plays cello from a flower, by Evelyne Verret.

Cloudsong 
20”x20”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Hawk plays the harp. Squirrel plays the cello. They are somewhere between a garden and the sky. The music has become the air.

Magical realism painting of a hawk swirling in a golden ribbon through pink clouds while a squirrel in a top hat plays violin from one of the ribbon's loops, by Evelyne Verret.

Ribbon of Songs
24”x24”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Hawk is dancing with a ribbon through pink clouds. Squirrel plays violin on one of its loops. One song. Two friends. A single golden line.

Magical realism painting of a hawk in a dress dancing flamenco on a red flower while a squirrel in a yellow beret plays guitar, by Evelyne Verret.

Wings and Strings
24”x24”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Hawk dances flamenco in a dress. Squirrel plays guitar in her own. When the music arrives, one plays it and the other has to move.

The Smallest Trumpet
36”x36”x1.5” Oil on mixed media on canvas

Bear is back on the contrebasse. Hawk is on saxophone. And Squirrel, the smallest one, wanted the trumpet. The loudest instrument. It was the only fitting choice.