Siberian Tiger with its green eyes, very long whiskers and striped orange, black and white fur gazes peacefully, at rest. Its muzzle is thick with white fur and whiskers, and features a bright pink nose. Mixed media painting using watercolour and ink pen. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Spirits of the Forest - Wolf is tattooed with red elderberry leaves and surrounded by pear-shaped mushrooms, short-stem russula fungi, yellow patches fungi, starflowers, eagle fern bracken, common boneset, inflated sedges, beech and eastern white pine. Wolves are shy and rarely seen, but I have heard them often on my trips to Algonquin, Temagami, and other wild areas of Ontario, Canada. This particular wolf is the Algonquin wolf, an animal I have seen only once but listened to many times. Much thanks to Michael Runtz for the photo reference. Watercolour painting. copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Sandbar Bear rests wearily on a bright red canoe placed on a sandy beach next to tall green marsh grasses. The grizzly is sprawled across the upturned boat, looking into the distance along the shoreline, its dark brown fur still damp from its swim. A wet paw print lies on the sand. There is no human presence, except for the canoe awaiting its paddlers’ return from their portage. Digital painting. Many thanks to Carol Bock for the bear’s reference photograph. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
A solitary moose makes her way out of the waters of a rushing river, about to climb the riverbank to a field of yellow ochre grasses and the dark forest beyond. Her rich brown fur is wet from her swim through deeper depths, and the moving river water swirls around her body. Watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Three Foxes Frolicking on green grass amongst bushes against a blue sky with a pale sun. One fox sleeps, another pounces, and the third jumps up. Their tails are bushy and white-tipped, while their fur is orange and magenta with black paws. Collage and mixed media painting using watercolour and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Spirits of the Forest - Moose is tattooed with trailing plants and surrounded by mushrooms, reeds, water lilies, starflowers, bunchberries, butternut and red maple. Moose are huge, majestic animals, usually peaceful, and are always an exhilarating sight during my time in Algonquin, Temagami and other wild areas of Ontario, Canada. Watercolour painting. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
Elephant Trumpeting lifts its trunk high up between its cream-coloured ivory tusks in a great bellow, its open mouth pink and its wrinkled skin a warm grey. Digital pencil drawing. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan
A Gathering of Wood Mice brings one curious tan-coloured mouse to the forefront while its friends gather in the background. Whiskers are twitching, little pink feet spread out over the ground and long pink tails swing with every move. Mixed media painting using watercolour and colour pencil. Copyright © 2022 Patricia Nolan

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Perhaps it because we share so many features with mammals that they are so attractive to me. Differences in intelligence, social organisation, physical characteristics among different species all engage and hold my interest. I love painting fur and the diversity of colour; in particular I try to capture some of the unique personality in the face and eyes of creatures I encounter.