This painting kind of came about from an encounter I had with a Stoat. I had heard of them before from people seeing them in the woods while I was camping although I had never seen one myself out in the wild as it were. Then one afternoon in autumn, while I was out bowhunting for white tail, I was listening to all the noises one hears while out in the woods. The sound of grouse and of geese and of…something else jumping through the leaves? As I listened I could hear it coming closer, although no idea what “it” was I was patiently awaiting it to show itself. I was half a mind that it was a squirrel, as you do see a lot of those in the woods as you wait in silence.
All of a sudden from behind a log not 3 feet in from of my feet and little tiny curious Stoat popped it’s head out, looked at me with some curiosity and then just as sudden as it had appeared it ducked behind the log and continued it’s search through the leaves for food. Probably looking for some tasty voles or shrews, that are also quite commonly seen while hunting from the ground. From that moment I knew that would be the painting I would do for this curious little fellow. I had thoughts of how to capture this majestic little creature which is very rarely seen and that day it was locked in my head that that was how I’d paint the Stoat.
I was overjoyed when this painting sold at the Art Now art show, my only qualm was that I was about an hour away when it sold and could not go see the buyers in person. I was actually out in the woods again listening to critters run around me in the leaves haha.
One Afternoon – Stoat (Short Tailed Weasel) SOLD
