I have admired the art of Bev Doolittle for a number of years. Her paintings have inspired and influenced me greatly. In fact, I am the proud owner of one of her prints, "When the Wind Had Wings." The following quote by Bev characterizes my beliefs regarding wildlife.
"In the life of the Indian, every new day, every encounter with a bird or beast, and everything he owned or wore related to his religious belief that all creatures were the creation of the same great power, and therefore were brothers." - Bev Doolittle, Season of the Eagle
Wild creatures truly are my wild brothers and sisters. In an attempt to portray the spiritual world of wildlife and their ability to communicate with us, I have begun work on a new concept in photographic wildlife imagery. Where this journey will take me, I have no idea. I do know, however, that my wild brothers and sisters will lead and I must follow.
I came up with the idea many years ago after seeing the work of Bev Doolittle. However, it was not until learning the technical skills that I was able to do anything about it. Even then, I was slow in getting started.
Work actually began about three years ago, but I never finished the project. A year or two ago, I showed the yet-to-be-completed image to a participant on one of my workshops and received favorable comments. It was not until a couple of months ago after receiving an email from my friend, Michael Wilhelm, that I decided it was time to get busy and complete it. Attached to his message asking for my comments, was a similar image. I decided to show my unfinished image to Lori Huff, my good friend and co-conspirator. She loved it. That was all it took. Looking for a new and different way to generate income in our country's failing economy, I decided the time was now or never.
So, that's how it all began. Thanks to Bev Doolittle, my friends Lori and Michael, and most of all to my wild brothers and sisters . . .
I present "Mystic Dancer," the first of my offerings portraying the spiritual world of wildlife in what I call, the Mystic World series. It is being released in a limited edition of 250 signed and numbered prints.
Check out Bev Doolittle's work: www.bevdoolittle.net
