Lookout Tower-Wolves

Why are most people so fascinated with wolves? If one looks at these four wolves on a cliff, the harmony of their colors and wonderful proportions of their bodies, as well as the resemblance to our dear German Shepherd and Huskies, explains everything. The teamwork in their hunting strategy has fascinated many biologists and naturalists. It is the same for most dog species like the Wild Dogs in Africa and the Dingoes in Australia, to name a few. Just like lions hunting in groups, the wolves can lay down big prey like moose, elk and caribou. Even a bear isn’t safe facing a big pack of wolves. One might wonder why wolves are so shy of humans. The story of Little Red Riding Hood is still in people’s minds. This fairy tale gave the wolf a bad reputation. Wolves avoid humans, as humans are their worst enemy. The inspiration for this painting came when I flew back to Europe after a wonderful field work trip (hunting with my camera). As I am unable to sleep in planes, I often make sketches for future paintings. With a ball-point pen and a little sheet of paper, one sketch was enough to create this painting. The scenery in this painting is typical of Western America with Lodgepole Pine and Rocky Mountain Maple. I mostly paint not what I have seen, but what I dream of seeing in the wild. This painting is done as a celebration for the success of the reintroduction of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park. As a wolf-lover, I am thankful to the people who worked hard to reintroduce the wolf into Yellowstone National Park. A wild area like this isn’t complete without this wonderful predator.