A Painting Day

A Painting Day could refer to any day I am at the easel wielding my brushes. In this case I am referring to a day in the field, especially observing the fauna present. A Painting Day means something has sparked my imagination and I know a painting will result.

For the past several weeks I have been in remote northern Manitoba, with one of the fly-in camps more than 100 miles from other humans. It is the 7th or 8th time I have been in this region and it never grows old. Watching the tundra turn its brilliant fall colors is a treat. Being in the company of polar bears, wolves, peregrine falcons, arctic fox, snow geese, sandhill cranes, black bears, and more, is thrilling. Almost every day was a painting day and many days finished with my head spinning with ideas.

In one 24-hour period I saw eight different polar bears (male, mom with twin cubs of this year, mom with twin cubs of last year, and another male.) Less than 2 days later I had a close encounter with a pack of wolves. The list goes on and on.

Below is one of the many, many photos I took of the mom with twin cubs of this year. That was a good Painting Day.

My thanks to Churchill Wild and Webbers Lodges for once again making this trip possible.