Two Dead Animals and One Lively One

9/18/13 Diamine Chocolate Brown ink, Sailor pen, 100 lb. paper

In addition to geysers, a major attraction of Yellowstone is the wildlife. Although we never saw any bears, we did see plenty of bison and some elk. Sketching them, however, was another matter. I did attempt to sketch one bison, but it’s not easy through binoculars. (I’m more impressed than ever by birders and naturalists like John Muir Laws who do much of their sketching through scopes.)

9/19/13 Bison sketched through binoculars.

Easier to sketch were the many dead animals mounted on the walls at Shoshone Lodge and Guest Ranch a few miles outside of Yellowstone. I counted 22 of them in the lobby – elk, deer, bears, moose, bobcats and even a jackalope.

9/19/13 Platinum Carbon ink, watercolor, 140 lb. paper

One lively animal kept us entertained in the car: Zia, a Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix. 

9/19/13 Diamine Chocolate Brown ink, 100 lb. paper

9/19/13 Diamine Chocolate Brown ink, 100 lb. paper