John Banovich - Belly Deep

  Limited edition giclée canvas Zawadi Edition - 9" x 12": 75 s/n plus 7 Artist Proofs• Limited Edition: $275 • Artist Proof: $330• Frame BA1-S (silver): 16" x 19" - $175• Frame BA1-G (gold): 16" x 19" - $175   Painting North American big game requires careful attention to habitat, habits and behavior. My inspiration for the scene is from and experience I had near Yellowstone National Park, while capturing a small herd at daybreak on a chilly November morning. In the winter months, elk must be near forested areas with many aspen trees for cover, and also to strip the bark. Elk are adaptable, tenacious and range across much of North America, where they once numbered nearly ten million individuals. The North American elk is also called a wapiti, which means "white rear" in the language of the Shawnee Indians, and refers to the distinctive, beige area of fur surrounding the elk's tail.  I have often been asked, “How much snow does it take to move elk out of the high country?” My resp