Wild and Free
Wild and Free

This piece grew out of two educational visits to Teton National Park which were sponsored by the Teton Science School based near Jackson, Wyoming. The Murie Center there contains a great variety of wildlife specimens, one of which is the elk skull in this piece. The fleshed head, with full antlers, was modeled after a specimen in a small museum in Jackson.

In the lower right corner of this piece, there is a tribute to Margaret and Olaus Murie, who devoted their lives to the study and advocacy of wildlife preservation. Both were respected scientists and Alaska explorers. Both were leaders in the campaign to establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge which is now one of the largest wildlife preserves in the world.

Watercolor/ Pastel 21" x 25"