My grizzly affair is over

Grizzly Skulls  12" x 24"  Oil  by Shirl Ireland

I finished my painting of the male and female grizzly skulls today. (The skulls are in the collection of the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center.)

I certainly enjoyed painting this one. Fun to create the form with such interesting colors. The colors in skulls can be captivating to me... and there were spectacular colors in these two! Like I've said MANY times -- white is never really white.

Both grizzlies died in Yellowstone of natural causes. Both were 12 years old. Both were considered "average" sized grizzlies for their gender. The female (on the left) weighed about 250 pounds. The male weighed in at over 576 pounds!

Really - my drawing is correct... I made sure of it. Checked and double checked.... Since portraying the VAST size difference was a big reason for me putting the two skulls together. It really is amazing to see the difference side by side.

Grizzlies are beginning to come out of their winter dens in Yellowstone. Sightings have been reported, although I haven't seen one myself yet. Generally, the male grizzlies emerge first. This news release was put out March 14, 2013 - http://www.nps.gov/yell/parknews/13020.htm  

Our Yellowstone Zoo

- photos from our windows -

 

Mule deer taking a break this afternoon.