This is my first finished painting of 2023. It's called Frozen Moment. I walk through the woods a lot observing nature. Sometimes I'm hunting or fishing but I always try and take in every detail. I've come across deer in the woods before while walking and I'll stop to observe them. I remember a young buck that didn't notice me one time and I just stood there still trying to get pictures while he went about his business. All of the sudden he either heard or smelled me and looked my way. It was in the fall and I kind of blended into the background but he knew something wasn't quite right. I remember how he shifted his head to the side as though he was trying to get a better look at me and he even stomped the ground a couple of times. To be honest I was a little nervous because it was during the rut season. I definitely didn't want to get attacked. Finally I thought I'd better make a movement and scare him off so I clapped and made a sudden move and he bolted the other way. He was jumping over obstacles as he ran through the thick brush with his white tail up.
I wanted to capture that curious look of a deer when they think they spot something that isn't quite right. This one that I painted is an older more mature buck because I wanted to put a larger set of antlers in the painting. I also wanted the feeling of light breaking through the woods and casting long shadows which I can use to my advantage in the composition because it leads the viewers eye back to the deer. I put one ear facing to the viewer and one ear facing the other way behind his antler to imply that he's still not quite sure where the danger is coming from. I'll leave it up to the viewer to decide if it's morning or evening.
Hope you all enjoy my painting and if you're interested it is for sale. I also have prints available at this link.
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