Larry Zach Wildlife Art

"Always an attractive specie, I find cardinals especially appealing when they are all puffed up trying to stay warm on a cold winter’s day. Such is the feeling I wanted to capture in Winter Pair Cardinals. I get the feeling they are snuggling inside a down jacket. What some people interpret as fat is, of course, just their feathers fluffed to their maximum to conserve as much body heat as possible.

One winter day while on a research trip I discovered a spot where someone had cut down an ancient, spreading, white oak tree, presumably for firewood. To me it seemed to be a shortsighted use of a long time resident and significant part of our environment. While poking around the remains of the great tree and contemplating the loss, I was attracted to the color and texture of the buds and twigs. I thought they would work nicely in a winter cardinal scene. The older branches also sported several species of lichen, which make them all the more interesting. I gathered up a good variety and carried them to my studio where I recombined various parts, slowly developing an interesting composition. I wanted to also show the character of the twigs and branches as they receded into the painting."

- Larry