European Bison

European Bison with day-old calf

The 'direct drawing' method captures the mother licking her calf's face while the tails flick in rhythmic harmony. The adult is losing her thick winter coat. I have partially shaded this drawing to show the bold pattern in strong sunlight; however the shadow below, I have left only in outline.

This male European Bison drawing reminds me particularly of Pictish silver ornaments which are built up in layers.
My art teacher, the late Elizabeth J. Lambie, used to wear a silver Pictish bull brooch on a sludge-coloured mohair cardigan. The memory is vivid.

The male bison is considerably larger than the female.

On this sketchbook page, the same mother and calf are drawn, the new calf trying to find access to suckle.

The little drawings (top right) show the fore and aft hoof structures.

These sketches show the new calf feeding, apparently rather precariously, as the mother begins to move off.

Clearly, this tree is a favourite scratching post for the animals. The bark is worn away by the contours of bison bulk. The process of mutual erosion of winter coat and birch bark has also caused soil erosion by many moving hooves, revealing part of the root structure, which I have stylised into a rudimentary Celtic Knot.

The wary mother eyes me cautiously. While these animals are at rest, I can indulge in greater detail of textures and the rocky landscape.