Spend enough time with the animals and it’s easy to start to identify with their plight in the modern world. Climate change, loss of habitat, hunting issues, land development—wildlife’s biggest enemies can come in many different forms.
Heightened Interest, oil, 48 x 36”
For wildlife painter Edward Aldrich, he’s painted countless species in a variety of settings, but one animal he keeps coming back to over and over again are wolves. So when an opportunity arose to help out the Wolfwood Refuge, a Colorado safe haven for wolves and wolf-dog hybrids, Aldrich jumped into action. “They are a great bunch of people at Wolfwood, and they’ve helped me out with some wonderful reference material in the past,” the Colorado painter says. “They’ve been a benefit to me, so I wanted my new show to benefit them for a change.”
Aldrich’s newest solo show, opening October 15, will coincide with a benefit at the animal refuge. The art show will take place at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Durango, Colorado; Durango is also home to Wolfwood Refuge. And, of course, several new works in the show will be wolves. One of them is Heightened Interest, showing a wolf with a white coat standing in the snow.
Point of Interest, oil, 18 x 28”
“With wolves you really sense the character of the animal and their mystique. They’re fun to paint, and this one especially since it was white on white with that tonal background,” the artist says. “Even though I’m dealing with whites, it’s interesting to get in there and generates warms and cools within that narrow artistic aspect of value.”
Bison, oil, 30 x 24”
He continues: “But it’s definitely that mystique that keeps me coming back to them. They are gorgeous to look at, just really beautiful animals, and they are also interesting to paint with their amazing colorations. I never tire of them because they are individual animals. Each one is different and has its own personality. I love to share those qualities within my work, and then also to just watch as people walk by in awe at these animals.”
Day Dreaming, oil, 12 x 9”
In addition to Heightened Interest, Aldrich will also be showing works featuring bison, bobcats, bears and, in the work Day Dreaming, a young fox that lives down the road from his house that he’s been watching carefully since it was born. Day Dreaming looks like the subject sat in a portrait studio, “but that was just how it stopped and looked at me, like it was posing for a camera.”
UPCOMING SHOW
Up to 12 works
Opens October 15, 2021
Sorrel Sky Gallery
828 Main Avenue, Durango, CO 81301, (970) 247-3555
www.sorrelsky.com
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