Artist: Judy Larson
Title: The Alphas
Edition Size: Fine Art Canvas Giclee to 300
Medium: Fine Art Giclee on Canvas
Image Dimensions: 18" x 24"
About the Art: Truly a family unit, a wolf pack is almost always composed of an alpha male, his alpha female mate and their offspring. During mating season, both the alpha male and female will fight to prevent others from breeding with their partner. Their monogamous relationship prevails until death, illness or injury prevents them from mating, or until one is ostracized from the pack. Courtship between the pair is playful, affectionate and devoted. After the annual mating, the alpha female will select a suitable site for her den near water, which the nursing mother will need. She prefers a wooded area to aid concealment, and the same location may be used throughout her breeding life, and perhaps, by successive alpha females within the same pack. Preparations on the den begin about six weeks after conception, three weeks before her pups are born. And so, the cycle of life endures, through the alliance, friendship, bond and cooperation of The Alphas.
About the Artist: Judy Larson always knew she was going to be an artist. She was surrounded by them as a child, and was particularly inspired by her father, a professional illustrator. Judy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Art from Pacific Union College in Northern California, then spent the next 17 years as a commercial artist, illustrator and art director. In 1988, influenced by her love of nature and animals, Judy devoted her time to wildlife art. Her primary focus in each of her paintings is the animal, with the horse as a recurring subject. Her unique approach to her work is through the use of scratch board--a technique that can render magnificent detail but one requiring infinite patience.Scratch board, an old, but little used medium, consists of a smooth, thin surface of hardened China clay applied to a board. The subject is then painted solidly with black India ink to create a silhouette. Now the exacting work begins, engraving the image into the surface of the artwork. While many artists use steel nibs or engraving tools, Judy prefers to work with X-acto blades, changing them ever few minutes to produce as fine a line as possible. Once the subject has been totally scratched, it is a finished black and white illustration, ready for the artist to add color. The methods of adding color are diverse. Judy prefers a combination of airbrush, gouache or acrylics for finishing, with frequent rescratching for detail. Scratch board is a demanding medium, one that Judy has used masterfully in developing her unique approach to wildlife art.