Inspiration for Painting
This is the second painting of my series entitled “Magnificent Animals of the Superior National Forest”. Of all the animals that inhabit the Superior National Forest the Bull Moose is definitely the “Monarch”. So who is the messenger?
I was reminded on a photographic trip to the northeastern part of the state in Oct 2005. I had scouted out an area earlier that summer. This particular area mixed forest, meadow and bogs; I knew to be a moose haven. I was out before dawn, sitting quietly in the tall grass. Everything was covered with a beautiful frost. The setting was perfect; I knew which tree to climb if I had to. It was the same birch tree in which a red squirrel was scrambling about scolding me incessantly. Oh great! I thought, any self respecting moose isn’t going to come within 5 miles of this spot. I wasn’t about to move, this was prime time and I needed to be quiet. After a few minutes the squirrel found better things to do and disappeared. Shortly thereafter the most magnificent Bull Moose came trotting out from behind some black spruce and stopped in the tall grass right in front of me, maybe 75 feet away. The sight of him almost literally took my breath away. Although the red squirrel had not on this occasion been able to alert the Moose of my presence, the idea for this painting was born.