Howlin Wolves

The painting was relatively easy to do and actually only took half a day. I knew i wanted to capture the eerie atmosphere of the pack howlin into the night with the man in the moon watching over them.

The wolf is a beautiful animal and to watch one walk is mesmerising as it is as if each paw is place in a striagh line and the body moves but the shape doesn't.

My first encounter with wolves was on leaving our friend Shannon Wray's place out in the country well north of Toronto. It was getting dark and Annie and I jumped into the hire car but as i was unfamiliar with the dashboard and controls i wasn't sure if i had dipped headlights or sidelights on. So i got out and stood at the front of the car waving my arms and asking her to switch on and off the controls so i could get them right. Suddenly she was tapping on the window frantically and shouting for me to get back in the car. I was oblivious to the fact that some 20 yards behind me a small pack of wolves were walking across the land and staring at me as they moved.

I turned saw them and their eyes shone back in the headlights straight at me but they didn't stop and just kept walking across my path. I moved quickly inside the car and stared back at these creatures who proceeded on their way.

It was both frightening yet beautiful.