(Cushing, Okla.) Almost exactly one year ago, illustrator Tim Jessell was the special guest of Rotarian of the Day Khris Fowler. This year Jessell returned, not to talk about his art, but about another one of his passions – falconry.
Jessell said he had an “epiphany” when he saw the statue “The Falconer” in a park in New York. He was so facinated by it that he decided that he, too, wanted to be able to “witness nature’s hand play out naturally.”
According to Wikipedia, falconry is “a sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game for humans.” However to many such as Jessell, it is a lifestyle. He personally owns two birds, 9-year-old old “Spike” and 2-year-old “Bolt.” Because of the time and energy spent in falconry, Jessell said he might be pushing his family limits having two. “There’s a saying, ‘one bird, one wife – two birds, no wife,"” he said with a laugh.
His smile continued as he spoke of a falcon’s amazing abilities. “They have been known to fly 225 mph in a dive. They are dynamic flyers.”
Illustrator and falconer Tim Jessell resides in Stillwater with his wife and three children. To learn more about Tim Jessell the illustrator, visit his website at www.timjessell.com
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