"Western Beauty" 24x36 Bighorn Sheep Landscape Painting

"Western Beauty" Big mountains, deep canyons, rugged terrain, and wildlife is why I love so much of the West. No matter the weather or the time of year, I'm happiest when I can get out to explore. However winter is a season which I haven't portrayed as much in my work compared to others. So when the snow came around this year, I made a commitment to get out more and create something that expressed my passion for this chilly time of year. It wasn't until we stumbled across a herd of bighorn sheep that I got inspired to paint. Our first encounter was during one of the coldest week's of the year, -26F was the temp that day. We caught a glimpse of them from the vehicle and decided to return on a warmer day.  Fast  forward a couple weeks later and the sun was out, the snow was disappearing, and the animals were up and moving. We were able to relocate the sheep, get in close, and gather a lot of reference. I knew immediately that this was what I had to depict. Over the course of a few more t