Just before Christmas, I was commissioned to complete a large painting for a man's study which featured snow and elk. I was so thrilled to be asked to do this because of all the things my dad used to love to paint, mountain landscapes combined with deer and elk were among his favorites. Because of that, there is a special connection I feel with him whenever I paint these subjects.
This was a creative challenge for me as I have never painted snow (to this extent) or elk, for that matter.
What you can't see in the finished painting is all the back and forth and creative input that goes into the painting between myself and the client. When it is done, it definitely feels like a combined effort.
I've shown the original sketch because I thought you might be interested in seeing how the initial photo layout transformed into a beautiful, peaceful painting for the client's study. As I look at this sketch, I think about the level of trust this person had that I could go from step A (the original idea) to step B (the final).
I learned more than I ever thought I'd care to know about elk as I poured over websites of our National Parks and read an entire book about elk. I put as much personality as possible into each of the elk and thoroughly enjoyed it once I had done my research. These bull elk are portrayed during their journey up the mountain. There are no females or young ones because they leave several weeks ahead of the rest of the herd in the autumn.
Originally, I thought it might be interesting to add a little cabin in the back of the woods, but my client thought an eagle in the sky above the elk would be a better idea. It might be hard to see among the contrast of the trees (which was how we intended it to appear), but it was a perfect suggestion and adds such a wonderful touch!
...oh, and by the way, one of my dad's trademark accents was to add an eagle in the sky of his paintings.
:0)
Elk Journey
3'x4' oil on canvas
Private Collection
