Endangered

I am a huge fan of the outdoors. My wife Jan and enjoy the wild with a passion. If I could figure out a way to make my art in Jasper National Park, she would have me there in a moment. As a result we are involved with several wildlife charities.

 

This image of this Black Wolf was taken on a guided excursion in Montana. While the original image was quite nice, I wanted to create a larger statement with, so into Photoshop it went.

 

Endangered is actually a tribute image to Storm. Storm was a wolf I sponsored in the Wolf Awareness Program in Canada through their Follow My Paw Prints program.

 

Storm was the pack leader of the Bow Valley Wolf pack, ranging mostly in the Banff National Park. It was a small pack that had had their struggles. Storm had lost a mate a few years before I entered the program. The Follow In My Paw Prints program sends out regular info mailings on the doings of your wolf and their pack. It was a delight to follow. Storm had re-mated and with his mate Hope, had brought a wonderful brood of wolf pups into the park.

 

Storm had survived lots of stuff over the years and was pretty wily. He was careful of cars and trains along with the full host of the usual park living dangers. These he careful taught to his off spring who were blossoming wonderfully under his and Hope's guidance.

 

A few years ago though he was hunting with his oldest son and drifted just outside of the park boundaries and into something he had no experience with, a trapper's leg hold trap. Both Storm and his son were snared and died. This was devastating tragedy to his pack and a horrible blow to the wolf population, which amongst other things is nature's balance to the wildlife equation in the park.

 

The image holds some symbolism, as you may have guessed. The blue background represents the encroachment of civilization into the wild habitant. The eyes glow with the rich yellow of life and awareness, a determination to find their way and look after their pack. I have kept the wolf coat the gray black so show it is still natural, real. The gray also symbolizes that they are becoming shadows in the wild.

 

So here is my tribute to Storm.

 

Endangered has touched a lot of other folks as well, each have been told the story behind it. A large canvas print of it hangs in one of the new buildings at the Wizard Academy in Texas. Several patrons have obtained prints of him for their home and office walls. We are in the process of creating a fund so revenues from this and other wildlife prints will go to wildlife nonprofit groups to help in critical programs.

 

Storm's Endangered has also taken home many  awards, here are some:

Professional Photographers of British Columbia – Awarded best in wildlife out of province

Professional Photographers of America – Selected for Display

Calgary Stampede International Photo Salon – Selected for Display

Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers – winner of Best Landscape/Wildlife