Chance Encounter. 24″ x 18″. Acrylic on Canvas. 2015.

Lately my inspiration has stemmed from my own personal experiences involving local wildlife. For Chance Encounter, I was out on a walk on the trails near my home, and just about 30 meters down the hillside I spotted this male coyote. He was just standing there, in what looked like an odd posture. I didn’t think much of it as I photographed him. He took notice of me but didn’t seem to be bothered by my presence. As I used my photographs to get a better look at him, I noticed he was in rough shape. He had raw patches of skin over his back legs and tail, and scarring over his body. I probably watched him for half an hour before getting too cold, and heading home. I often wonder if he survived the winter, as I have not seen him since. I hope so, but either way I’m grateful that I got to spend even a little time sharing the same space as one of our local coyotes.