#684 In the field: Pronghorn Antelope and Sage Grouse

The "in the field" experience is a necessity for the wildlife artist.  There's no way to convince your viewer that your work is authentic unless you've been there yourself.  Autumn is a special time to be in the field for many reasons . . .

 especially if an artist is in search of game for studio reference as well as meat for the table.

Trish and I both drew antelope doe tags this year and were successful in putting meat in the freezer for the winter.  Wyoming antelope country is austere, vast, and beautiful.   After we filled our tags, we returned to our 

 hunting area several times with the cameras to collect photo reference material and to experience the animals.  

Below, are images taken this September and October.

Below, are images of Sage Grouse.  The big bird is not on the endangered species list but could be soon.
A great time to photograph them is in the spring during mating season . . . the male has a spectacular display!

We do not hunt them for the table . . . only with a camera. Also, from what I understand, they're not very good eating and I'm spoiled with the succulent Ruffed Grouse we hunt in the north country.  Our Brittany, Penny loves to find them after the day's hunt and I was able to photograph the secretive birds last month for reference material that will be used in the studio.  I'm currently working on a new antelope sculpture and a Sage Grouse composition is mentally in the works.  

Below, is an image of an early antelope sculpture created in the 1990s.

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  

See post #616

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#653 Locomotive anatomy . . . deer

Please see the previous post for more information about this blog.

The focus of this post is anatomical considerations of the deer in motion.

Every artist knows that it's difficult to sketch a jumping or running animal.  Studying skeletons, muscles, and proportions of a species and understanding "nature's one pattern" and waypoints - see blog #644 thru #648 - is invaluable knowledge
for the sculptor and will initiate an understanding of all quadruped locomotive anatomy . . . deer included.

Drawing action gestures and lines in the field, will help you catch the spirit of the pose and will  prevent becoming
involved in the details before you have established proportions and character of the pose.
The legs of a running or jumping deer are moved one after the other in rotation . . . a horse moves the legs diagonally.
Shown below, are quick sketches created afield.

In the field, you will observe that at the beginning of a deer's leap or jump, the head and neck are extended.
As the deer lands, the head is drawn back.  Below, are additional drawings depicting the deer's anatomical structure.
Remember . . . drawing in the field is about curiosity; not the final product.
Look for the big picture . . . don't get mired in details.

Photography is an invaluable tool for the artist in the field.  This little Mule Deer fawn didn't see me crouching behind a bush and ran right toward me before veering off!  All four legs were off the ground and it was demonstrating a maneuver
peculiar to Mule Deer called "stotting".  White-tailed Deer don't do it but some African antelope do.

Shown below, is a recent sculpture of a White-tailed Deer in motion entitled, "Swamp Buck".

Shown below, is another sculpture of a White-tailed Deer in motion entitled, "Whitetail".

                                                                                            

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  See post #616 and #655

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#602 Paris: The menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes

Please see the previous blog for more information about this post.

The Jardin de Plantes in Paris which includes the menagerie (zoo) expanded dramatically
 in the early years of the 19th century and the definitive sculptor of animals,
 Antoine-Louis Barye was a frequent visitor.  Throughout his life it was a source of
 reference and inspiration and provided the basis for his scientific approach to sculpture.

At various times, the menagerie had exotic animals such as Asian elephants and lions.  When the animals died, he would attend their dissections, make a multitude of drawings
and spend hours taking measurements and recording detailed proportions.

He put his years of self-study at the zoo and his knowledge of anatomy to good use . . . emphasizing the musculature of animals in a bold and energetic manner.
 His idealized, stylized, and dramatized sculptures of animals are without equal.

Below, is an image of Barye's sculpture taken in the menagerie
at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris last month.

While exploring the menagerie and experiencing the animals, I was consumed
with the realization that Barye, his good friend, Delacroix, and many other great artists
such as Bugatti and Fremiet, walked the same paths and trails in years past.

 Below, are images.

Below, I'm concluding every blog about our trip to Paris last month with a glimpse of life in the beautiful city.

Christmas time in Paris is magic!  One sunny morning, Trish and I walked from the Place Concord
along the Champs Elysees to the Petit Palace Museum.  After our museum visit,
 we continued to the Arc Triomphe then back to the Tuileries.

The Champs Elysees is lined on both sides with kiosks and outdoor kitchens serving every food and drink imaginable.
We enjoyed a hot wine and a raclette, which is a sandwich served by warming the top of a large cheese wheel
with a heating device then scraping the melted cheese onto a baguette with ham and optional potatoes.
The long walk back to the metro was welcome after a late lunch!

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information. 

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#552 In the field: Wilderness aesthetics, con't . . .

Please start this series of blogposts with # 549;  Wed.,  July 23

While in the Colorado high country last week, we encountered moose every day. The focus of this post is moose.

The moose is a member of the deer family and is the largest antlered mammal on earth.  Four subspecies of moose are native to North America:  The Eastern moose which ranges from Maine to eastern Canada;  the Canadian moose which ranges from Ontario through Saskatchewan;  the Shiras moose which ranges from the Colorado Rocky Mountains northward through Alberta;  and the largest of all . . . the Alaska-Yukon moose.

Shown at right, detail of the bronze, Red Willows  

Although moose were abundant in Colorado in the pre-1800's, they were hunted to extinction by 

Native Americans and early white settlers.  In 1978, four bull moose and eight cows, one with a calf, 

were released in northern Colorado and the reintroduction has been an overwhelming success. 

Below, are images of the Shiras moose taken last week in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

We saw the cow and calf shown below every day while we fished our favorite high-mountain trout lake.  

The water was shallow in most places and one day we saw the cow stroll out to feed on the lush vegetation with the calf following.  The calf ventured in but turned back when it's knees were just above the water and returned to the safety of the woods while the cow waded to deeper water and fed.   After a period of time, the cow grunted and the calf emerged from the woods as the cow waded to the edge of the water.  The calf nursed and then both sauntered back into the woods.  

I sketched and photographed moose everyday on the trip.

Below, an original etching entitled Mossback

To learn more about the subjects go to the links below.

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the right.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#529 In the field: Brookgreen Gardens aviary . . . Great Blue Heron

Start this series with  #522,  April 16, 2014.  http://www.brookgreen.org

The Brookgreen cedar swamp aviary has several species of birds in residence including the
Black-crowned Night Heron,  Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, and Great Blue Heron.
Below, is a photo of a Snowy Egret and a Great Blue Heron.

During my stay at Brookgreen in South Carolina last month, I spent many hours photographing, sketching,
and observing the birds in the enclosed aviary environment  . . .  it was a bird artist's dream!
The birds were used to humans and could be relied upon to carry on with their habits
such as preening, feeding,  resting, nesting, socializing, etc. in a natural manner.

Below, sketching in the aviary . . . Black-crowned Night Herons in the foreground. . . Great Blue's not visible.

This blog focuses on images of the Great Blue Heron:  The bird is enormous - 6 to 7 foot wingspan - and is one of my favorite subjects.  The long, decorative feathers on the head and neck present beautiful and elegant components
for the artist to design with.  They are a shy bird and stayed hidden most of the many hours I spent in the aviary.
I persevered and was able to photograph and sketch the graceful creature on several occasions . . .
mostly early morning and late afternoon.

Below, are sketches and photos of the magnificent Great Blue Heron.

To learn more about the subjects in this blog go to the links below.

For a complete list of  the blog subjects go to the Index Page and

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on right.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish