Ermine pencil drawing

[mayamike]

Hi to all been a bit of time since I posted something "real" job work load, bad computer crash,. etc. Well heres an Ermine drawing I did based on one I had the pleasure of meeting hanging around the wood pile a few weeks ago. Bold little critter as it got within 3 feet of me taking pic's of it ! Love to have experiences like that ! done on 11x14 Bristol board.

[Nina]

very nice mike! Love the contrast in there

[mayamike]

Thanks Nina

[Beaumont taxidermy]

that is some nice work...

[mayamike]

Thanks Jerry

[Leslie J.]

great work mike!  I'm with nina, love th contrast   I'm working on an brown phase ermine painting right now, but keep putting it off LOL

[Jim B]

I like it.All members of the weasel family are really interesting critters.Great subject.

[cloudsurfr]

You are very talented..my mother was an artist.
Just thought I'd tell you
Linda

[mayamike]

Thanks to all for the comments ...
NGoddess would love to see the painting when you start it...oil or acrylic?
Jim, at one point I thought he would walk up onto my shoe.
Thanks Linda, is the tigers in your avatar pic your work by chance?

Michael

[cloudsurfr]

No, I just love tigers and cats. My mother was the talent. When I was in H.S. I was o.k. But now I have no patience. I'd like to try my hand at it again someday. I'll put one of my mom's up if i can later. It's very old. My son is a great pen and ink artist. But lately they have him on antidepressants and he says they make him feel to shakey.

[Avian Art]

Mike,
I love your ermine! It takes me back to when I was about 16 yrs old. My family was at deer hunting camp, a small, one-room, barnwood shack about the size of the average home bedroom. After lights out one night, yet before anyone nodded off, we heard a great commotion around the supper table, at one end of the shack. My Uncle grabbed a flashlight near his bunk, and shed some light on the subject.

We had a late evening visitor, a beautiful white ermine! Once the light hit him, he dropped the bread bag with a few slices in it, that he had been dragging across the table. He proceeded to make a diving dash under the wash basin stand in a flash. He was making for a knothole that had fell out of a floorboard, and to his escape.

The hunt was on! We dashed outdoors to see if we could spot him again, with electric torches in hand. We found him under our buck pole, apparently trying to grab at least a quick bite before he left, as he was stretched up on his hind legs reaching for deer feet. He dashed back towards the camp, and around our woodpile. Next we followed him out by our outhouse, where we ultimately lost track of him.

That was a bit of excitement, and a treasured memory from my youth. I must admit, I was a bit sad when the camp elders nailed a tin can lid over the hole in the floor the next day. Deer camp has changed hands now, and most of the old party are no longer with us, or hunt elsewhere. There will be many good hunts in the future, I'm sure. But, one can never really go back to some of the magical moments of our lives. You guided me back if only via memories sparked by your creation.

Thank you for sharing your drawing, and dredging up one of my best times. It has been a while since I thought of our ermine burglar. You have captured the very spirit of the subject animal in a very real way, and transported a grateful old hunter back to a better time and place! Bravo!

- Dave

[DRT]

Nice job Mike.  I like the balance that you put in all of your work, subject/fore/background, almost A-symetrical.




- Chad

[mayamike]

Thanks Dave, there are those moments like you said that can have a effect on our lives and seeing some bit of art can bring them back and a smile to our faces now and again taking us back to that moment as if it where yesterday. Very glad to here your account of the Ermine burglar

Thanks Chad,every piece is a challenge this one was when to stop on the background and call it done, really like your muley drawing in progress. Looking foreward with great anticipation to it's completion.

[countryviews daughter]

Its beautiful!

[buckrub]

it is great! i love it