Arctic Summer

I created this painting when wildlife art was in high demand.  That wasn't the reason that I painted it, but  that market has fallen off drastically, so I paint much less wildlife now than I did then.  Art subjects are cyclical and like every business, you need to pay attention to what the market wants, at least some of the time.

The Arctic wolf lives in a tough environment, above the treeline.  Summers are very short there, and the tundra bursts into bloom for only a matter of weeks before temperatures begin to drop once more.  These pups are enjoying the mid-day sunshine while the mother wolf keeps a watchful eye on them.  There is little cover for them, should a predator happen by.

I painted this picture on stretched canvas using alkyd paints.  The painting measures 16 inches high by 22 inches wide.  I used a circular composition to direct the viewer's eye from the pup in the foreground, up to it's mates, and then to the mountain peak in the background before flowing to the she-wolf and back to the pups again.  The colour scheme is warm, which fortifies the feeling of mid-day sunshine.

You can find this painting and archival quality prints on paper or canvas at my web site www.richarddewolfe.com or my publisher's web site http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/richard-de-wolfe.html