My fascination with elk began more than twenty years ago in Benezette, Pennsylvania, where I first experienced the unforgettable sound of a bull elk bugling in autumn. Since then, I’ve photographed and observed elk in Yellowstone National Park—including newborn calves and one memorable bull that charged me—and closer to home in Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Those encounters inspired Resting Elk. I wanted this painting to capture a quieter side of these magnificent animals: a bull at rest in the mountain landscape, while still conveying the size and presence that make seeing an elk in the wild so memorable.

This is the original painting, so there is only one. It is painted in oil on a 1½" gallery-wrapped canvas and measures 24" × 30". The image continues around the painted edges for a finished look, so no framing is required unless you prefer a framed presentation.