At times in his life, Frank Beebe has precariously hung 150 feet down a rope, eyeing the Pacific Ocean pounding the rocks below while an irate peregrine falcon swooped at him from above; he has worked trapping rats on the West Coast in an effort to monitor the possible outbreak of bubonic plague during World War II; he has even presented Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with a pair of Peale's peregrine falcons on behalf of British Columbia. These are but a few glimpses into this man's colorful life, a life which, among other activities, has been devoted to crafting images of the birds he loves.
Today, Frank lives in Deep Cove, a half-hour's drive north of Victoria, British Columbia. His property is surrounded by trees, and there is a pond in the front yard. A Pekingese and a Jack Russel terrier greet approaching visitors. The terrier, Tiger, accompanies Frank when he hunts with his favorite falcon.
Frank's studio is a large, open room attached to the side of his house. A life-sized wood sculpture of a hawk in flight hangs from the ceiling. There is a wood-burning stove in the corner for cold winter days. Frank's workbench, at right angles to the south wall, is made almost completely of glass. Natural light is the nourishment of the nature artist. Outside, the broad lawn is bordered by tall trees, presenting a lush variety of greens. In the center of the yard there are three perches and on each is a bird of prey: a jerkin or male gyrfalcon, a ferruginous eagle, and a Harlan's red-tailed hawk (a subspecies). . . |
