Elk in Snowstorm

[Grizabella]

This is one of the watercolors I'm doing as Christmas card/gifts this year for my neighbors. I'm still having trouble mastering the splattering and I managed to "snow" on myself and my TV remote more than on the elk. LOL But all of this is watercolor except for the snow, which I did with well-diluted gouache.

I did this with Rosa Gallery watercolors, and Caran D'Ache gouache on Baohong 100% cotton paper on a block. Artist quality from Baohong because they also offer an academy grade. It probably doesn't need mentioning what brushes I use but I really love the Fuumuui real hair brushes which are advertised as being sable and some are squirrel. They're quite inexpensive brushes but they're very good and I thought I'd mention them and give them a plug.

 

[Artyczar]

I think this is a great piece, and such a beautiful animal.

 

[Schuee]

He makes a lovely card. I like it a lot. Well done!

 

[snoball]

Well done, he will make a great card.

 

[Triduana]

This is delightful. I really like the shape of the antlers, and the snow is a lovely finishing touch.

 

[jennaboo88]

This is lovely! Great work on the antlers. They are hard to get right!

 

[KreativeK]

It is super!

 

[Terri]

Wonderful work! Your neighbors will be delighted, I know I would be. There's no doubt this was difficult but you make it look easy!

 

[Queen Bee]

Great looking elk. Plenty of snow still managed to land on your lovely painting.













gG

 

[Grizabella]

Thanks to all for the great feedback!

We have a herd of elk that live up here in the forest and they're beautiful animals. When I was a little girl we lived in southern Oregon and I can still remember hearing the elk bugle-ing because they lived much nearer to humans then than they do now. We never hear them here. I never see any deer, either, which is odd. There are lots of deer in the valley right in downtown Eugene, though.

We have a resident cougar who sometimes comes right into the park and their primary food is deer, but now I suppose they must prey on young elk or else older, not so healthy ones if they can't find deer.

A couple of summers ago a cougar was down in the valley and my nephew's children were out playing in the yard---right downtown mind you---when they looked up in one of their trees and saw a cougar watching them. The news said it was a very lean, hungry-looking cougar who probably just couldn't find prey in the hills. It sure shook my nephew and his wife and the kids up.

We have a friend who lives about a mile up the road from us and last time my daughter went up there she said a black bear and two cubs were scavenging fallen apples and she almost ran over them because they ran away right in front of her truck. Sometimes the cougar goes up there, too. Especially during hunting season when our friend is cleaning his game in the fall.