ABOUT US

RISING OWL STUDIOS – EIGHT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS WE’VE NOT YET BEEN  ASKED

• Why did you start this business?

We both have had a lot of interesting experiences in our lives, and have a unique set of skills that we want to share with the world.  In our previous jobs, we were able to utilize such a relatively small amount of our talent, doing such things as Java programming and legal analysis.  Those jobs rarely required us to sketch imaginary animals, or explain the merits of meditation and how personal energy works.  Weird, right? We figured, if not now, when?

• What is it that you do?

We use art, apps and words to entertain and educate.  We hope to help people see things in new and different ways.  That’s the short version. The longer version is that we really create art, program apps and write books that make people pause and consider something – an object, a habit, a motivation – a little differently than they had before.

• So, what is this site really for?

This is our home base for the art, apps and words (books) we publish.  Some will have their own web site as well, but we thought it would be useful to have a central hub for all of our work.  At times, it will be easy to see the commonalities between projects, and others, maybe not so much.  I will say that since we are both quite interested in how perspective shifts tend to lead to new understandings, that is likely to be an underlying theme for much of our work.

• I just found your site. Where should I start?

The home page is a great place to start – and then check out each of our main sections – the Art Studio, the App Lab, and Word Corner.

• What are five words you want people to associate with Rising Owl Studios?

Engaging, entertaining, unique, worthwhile, fun

• You create “art, apps, and words” which are not necessarily things people would think about as going together.  Who does what, and why?

Dakota – I do art and words.  I’ve always loved writing stories, researching and writing reports for school and for jobs – anything involving words. Law school was all about words! Art is something that has been on the fringes for me, but I have been bringing more to the forefront as I realize how crucial it is for many of the messages I want to convey.

Vicki – I do the app programming and words.  I have so many years in the programming field and coding mobile apps is just an extension of what I have always done.  I love creating apps!  Writing is something that I have always liked as well.  I enjoy exploring and conveying deeper meanings in what I write.

• Will you each share three unusual facts about yourself?

Dakota – I worked one summer on a fish processing vessel in Alaska,  earned a specialty degree in Environmental Law, and study animal communication.

Vicki – I study ancient fire-making techniques,  have two black belts in Karate and a pilot’s license, and have visited over 10 countries, and counting.

• What is the image on your home page about?

Good question! That is a compilation of images from an app we put out called Copter Critters.  It was mostly an experiment done  in order to learn about getting something up on the App Store, dealing with sizing issues, testing, and everything that goes into the process. The art itself actually reflects issues of perspective as users play the different levels – from an ant down at ground level to a Yeti high on a snowy mountain.