Momma Moose & Calf

-2026-

Back Story to the reference photo taken at 11:50 am (PDT) on June 30, 2019

While traveling along Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway), we stopped in Field, Alberta to catch up with a train we were chasing to watch it circle through the Spiral Tunnel that is situated along the Continental Divide of Americas (the Kicking Horse Pass). When the train had moved on, so did we. As we continued to drive a couple kilometres down the road, cars were pulled over along the side of the Trans-Canada Highway. Curious minds pulled over to see what all the fuss was about and there she stood! This Momma with her Calf standing in a babbling brook of turquoise water. Absolutely breathtaking scenery so much so, it must be put onto canvas to forever capture the moment.

The Painting

To enhance the reference photo, I decided to bring Momma Moose and Calf closer to the centre of the painting while still surrounded with background evergreens. Turquoise water to be added in separate process.

Rough sketch to acheive proper proportions

Blocking in Momma Moose and her calf using acrylic raw umber and yellow ochre.

Switching to oils, using a light coat of Ivory Black in the background then blocking in evergreens with Sap Green

First layer of background forest completed allowing time to dry to enhance the forest

The Video below details the beginning of the oil painting with applying base colours to the background.

Music credit: Awakenings by David Koz

Background to Foreground

From here on, detailed photos will be posted as progress continues while working from the background to foreground.

As a SouthPaw, I work totally backwards by adding a little cobalt turquoise along with lite strokes of phthalo blue and green to the start of water around the blocked in (acrylic) Momma and calf. Once the base blues were applied, a palette knife to cut in soft blending white for ripples were added but allowing to dry to add a little impasto effect later on.

Under the feet of Momma and Calf, burnt sienna with a smidgen of ultramarine blue and a couple of stipples of dioxazine purple were applied followed with a dry brush to blend and form the beginning of the sandy forefront.

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