“Bald eagles,
our national symbol, have come back dramatically from near
extinction over the last fifty years. They’re a very common
sight where I live in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. I
never get tired of looking at bald eagles, nor do I ever
tire of the sunsets we get here, looking toward the West and
the Cascades. This horizon in particular lends itself to a
longer image, one where you can look in every direction and
see something. I wanted to show the eagles as they flew
across the skyline, using the last fading rays of sunlight
to find a place to roost for the night. They’re surfing the
sunset, riding those last thermals before they go to bed.”
No two animals personify the spirit of the
North American wilderness better than the wolf and the bear. While few of us
will ever chance upon either in our backwoods excursions, the knowledge that
they exist is what truly makes the wilderness wild.
"Few people realize that eagles can soar
at up to 200 miles-per-hour in their roller coaster flights. One of my
favorite places to climb and watch them is the mountains of Vedavoo in
Wyoming. Splendid flyers, golden eagles will spread their eight-foot
wingspan and ride the northern thermals for hours on end. They are truly
inspiring to watch.”
As fall turns to winter in the mountains,
the sense of impending snowstorms is in the air. After a summer of grazing,
the mule deer feel the change and know it’s time for their annual migration
from higher to lower elevations on the mountain range. Their coats have
changed from the orange/yellow of summer to gray. “I live in a mule deer
range and have them in my yard all the time,” says artist Rod Frederick on
the subject of his latest fine art limited edition. “Although the bucks
become scarce during hunting season, I chose to show a buck and doe in this
scene. They’re fascinating to watch and I wanted to show the seasonal
migration in this painting. The buck is in full glory, his antlers at full
growth. He’ll shed his antlers in the late winter and they’ll start growing
again the next spring, each year growing progressively larger.”
“This is one of my favorite places to hike, I really enjoy the sights and
sounds found high in the timberlands during this time of the year.” Wildlife
takes full advantage of the short mountain summers, when many different
species are tossed together into the same habitat – much like a salad. As
the days get longer and warmer, the snow disappears and everything springs
to life. The Cascade Mountains provide a stunning background for the wild
alpine flowers and butterflies as the singing of white crown sparrows fills
the air."
It is early fall in The Wake Up Call, the
low sun bathes the mountains in alpenglow as mist rises off the water. This
western scene is as familiar to Rod Frederick as his backyard, and could be
almost anywhere in the Rocky or Cascade mountain ranges.
The number in each bull’s group is limited
only by his ability to defend his mating territory. Hormones are flowing
freely, as evidenced by the pair of fighting elks. Sometimes I can get so
caught up in the excitement of watching elk which are fifty feet away that I
might not even see the Canadian geese
five feet from me.”
In artist Rod Frederick's world, wildlife
is another natural piece of his
wide vistas, soaring trees and sky-scraping mountains. It is autumn in
Before the Storm, and the bull elks are at their prime from a summer of
feeding. As the season shifts into winter, the bulls are called to rejoin
the herds by the cooler nights and shorter days. Each bull collects his
females on the way down to winter range, the numbers of his group limited
only by his ability to defend his mating territory.
"Although young bulls
usually avoid confrontation, the meeting of two similarly-sized bulls is an
undeniable call to establish dominance. A silent challenge
passes between the two males, but the next move - and the outcome - is
unpredictable."
Summer
in the high meadows of the Tatoosh range is as striking as it is short. From
snow melt to first snow, entire cycles of life will come into being,
flourish, then cease to be. Three bull elk forage through this alpine
wonderland of flowers, rufus hummingbirds and dragon flies, as they bulk up
for winter’s certain onset. Yet as this day’s last light falls on the
ridgetops behind, the snows are far off and the majesty of summer abounds.
"High in the timberline, the elusive wolf pack
is on the move. In a matter of minutes, the view can change for miles, as
clouds and wind reclaim the ground and everything on it. The constantly
moving wolves disappear like ghosts in this everchanging mist, only to
re-emerge in
the shifting shadows."
Mount Ranier is a huge, sleeping volcano and the
tallest mountain in the Cascade Range with an altitude of 14,410 feet.
Although summer is brief in the subalpine area, it is spectacular!
"Summer shines through the thin
mountain air with an explosion of colors and textures. The entire area is
transformed by meadows of dazzling wild flowers. In this painting, two young
black-tailed fawns bask in the tall grass along a glacier stream as their
mother surveys the high meadows."
"The great heron is a common bird in the
Pacific Northwest, as well as being Portland, Oregon's official bird. Since
I've also always wanted to capture the constantly changing gold colors of
the sunset, I combined these two subjects to create a work of art I hope
you'll find
serene and relaxing."
