Wild Things Artwork
by Patsy Lindamood

24" H x 36" W Pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord."Red Rock Rangers" has been juried into the 18th National Pastel Painting Exhibition 2009, at EXPO New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM.

I made my first visit to Zion National Park in the fall of 2008. We had just one afternoon and a few hours the next morning to complete a couple of drive-thru's of the park. Despite the short time frame for experiencing the park, we were extremely fortunate to come upon the sort of road jam on our way out of the park that always signals a wildlife sighting. About a dozen big horn ewe were scattered around the curve of a mountainside, while a ram and several more ewe watched over them from a high ridge vantage point across the gulch. As more and more park visitors gathered to observe and photograph, the ram on the ridge stood and walked to the edge of the ridge. Two ewe came forward to stand with him, peering out across the gulch -- and to keep a sharp lookout over the gathering tourists on the road.

Later, reviewing all the shots from that stop, I found the red rock setting as beautiful and compelling as the wildlife that made me stop in the first place. I set out to paint the red rock ridge as if it were an abstact painting - all lines, angles, and complex patterns of red and orange. The big horns are still an integral element of the piece. My intent for them was to depict them with a sense of focus and vigilance, carefully observing and analyzing the situation to determine if a defensive course of action were called for. Clearly the ewe took all their cues from their ram, and the ram was clearly intent on protecting his females. The trio of them, poised their on the ridge, look like a group of "wildlife" rangers, overseeing the park to make sure all was well with the world.