Sportsman's Dream

The setting for Sportsman’s Dream is an interwoven pattern of cover types providing habitat for a variety of wildlife species. Strips of prairie grasses, native forbs, and annuals border overgrown fence lines and forest edges. An old farmstead in the background hints of past dreams and labors. A late afternoon sun bathes the landscape and distant clouds in a rich, warm light. Suddenly the tranquility is broken. Within seconds a covey of bobwhite quail and four roosters break out of the cover and head for safety. Two whitetail does and a heavy racked buck come to sudden alert. Something has interrupted the evening solitude. Is it a fox, a coyote, a bobcat, or maybe a hunter? The viewer is left to decide. This is the scene captured in Sportsman’s Dream. Look closely at the painting and you will discover numerous, subtle, details blending into the background. Several well-worn pieces of farm equipment add to the fall colors. A white-breasted nuthatch and downy woodpecker explore weatherin