Nocturnal Symphony

Description

This painting was a commission for my niece. Her love of wildlife and nocturnal tendencies were inspiration for this composition. A few years ago, she really liked a painting I did of a bear looking for food in the forest, Looking for Lunch. I was never sure if she was attracted to the bear or that the bear was looking for something to eat! Because of that interest, I prominently feature a Grizzly bear seeking out a nighttime “snack.” The Great-Horned Owl and a wolf howling at the full moon complete the trio. The creatures are not depicted to scale as I wanted to equally emphasize each. The Great-Horned Owl with its piercing eyes is the smaller of the creatures yet is rendered the largest. The wolf is silhouetted by the full moon, and the Grizzly bear is in the foreground lumbering toward the viewer. A dynamic rhythm is created by the placement of the tree trunks, their variation reminiscent of a Wagnerian operatic motif. The full moon lights the scene, as if day, and the abrupt changes in value and color disrupt the expected peacefulness of night, turning the hope of rest into a distant thought.