"Fortitude" 24"x18" Oil on hardboard panel, January 2024

I got the idea to paint a buffalo while driving through Daniels Gate Park near Castle Pines, CO in December 2023. It was a snowy day and the herd of buffalo there were penned in near the road, calmly munching away on whatever they could find on the ground, totally ignoring the snow, the cold and the wind, which was brutal. They were all huddled up, probably to stay warmer, but I decided to paint this one bull to create a stronger composition.  Otherwise, it was hard to tell one animal from the next in the dim light and heavy snow. They're beautiful animals, winter or summer, and definitely built to handle the cold weather!