Details
I’ve always been in love with the waterfowl of the sub-arctic. I find their migrations from such distant lands fascinating, and the opportunity to hunt them a romantic and nostalgic trip back into the past. When I was recently charged with painting a pair of Steller’s Eiders to illustrate Don Thomas’ closing column in the Nov/Dec 2015 issue of Ducks Unlimited magazine, I was both excited and a bit dismayed; I’d never hunted for, nor held the birds in my hands, and I had no sketches or notes from which to paint.
A cursory search on the internet yielded some spectacular images. One photograph, in particular, was exactly what I needed. Luckily, the photographer was credited, and I sent him a short message explaining who I was, what I needed, and politely asked for his permission to paint from his work. A few days later, I received a very generous note from Colin Bradshaw, granting me his approval.
This oil on stretched canvas measures 18 x 16 inches.
