Wild Things Artwork |
| "Big Horn Quartet at Zion National" |
24" H x 36" W Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord.
When I was photographing the group of big horns at Zion National Park of which this quartet was just a small number, I had a vision that day to paint a piece based on this quartet, to attempt to capture their sense of watchfulness and that awesome vast blue sky behind them. As it turned out, I painted "Red Rock Rangers" first, unable to resist the temptation to work with the intriquing abstract quality of the red rock wall. But when that was done, I still wanted to paint more big horn, and I still really wanted to try to paint "that sky."
This piece has a totally different feel from "Red Rock Rangers," although the trio in that piece are part of this same quartet of animals. I think that the massive sky as a backdrop provides a totally different feel. The size of the piece is integral to my attempt to depict the expansiveness of the western sky and the quality of the air in that part of the country. These sheep are big animals, yet they are miniscule compared to the scale and grandeur of the red rock formations of Zion.
I think that both these pieces mark a turning point in my devlepment as a wildlife painter in that the more I explore nature and the more I paint based on those explorations, the stronger my sense of the integral connection that exists between wildlife and their habitats.