Pine Marten

Of all the animals I've drawn, the Pine Marten has been the biggest challenge, due to its agility and speed. The viewing hide has peanut-baited structures that lure wild Pine Martens into close proximity - almost too close for drawing! This problem being far greater than drawing in the dark, which is one of the fortes of the 'direct drawing' method.
See Drawing in Concert

You may get an impression of drawing speed by putting four peanuts in the palm of your hand, and gobble them, very rapidly, one by one. In that time, the animal has come and gone.
Note the powerful hindquarters prepared to spring and the bushy tail which can be used to give balance.

The Strathspey Wildlife guide helps to identify the individual animals as they visit by variations in their markings and their size.
Sometimes badgers are also seen from the hide: we weren't lucky with the badgers, but we did see roe deer on the slopes.