BISON PRINCE

“BISON PRINCE”  Although I traveled a lot, I didn’t make it to Yellowstone National Park until I was in my late 60’s.  Here I am, a huge lover of animals and put off visiting one of the most spectacular places for viewing wildlife.  After my first visit, it was so remarkable that I was ashamed of myself for not going there sooner.  When I came home after four days looking at Yellowstone through my camera lens, I had taken almost 5,000 photos. I was a very, happy camper.

On my most memorable day in the park, I was walking out on a boardwalk that snaked about a half mile through the Yellowstone hydrothermal springs, vents and geysers.  Once I'd walked quite a ways out, I saw a huge bull bison grazing in the grass about 50 feet from me. I stopped and began taking pictures his direction.  I was still and quiet and didn't draw his attention.   Right about then, a busload of Japanese tourists unloaded and began walking onto the boardwalk.  They were excited when they saw the bison and began racing, talking excitedly, all of them crowding closer and closer to the bull in order to get photos.  The loud jabbering, activity and crowding made the bull very nervous and upset and he began running down the long narrow boardwalk toward the parking lot .... and the tourists.   Everyone was racing ahead and screaming in terror. The bull had his head down and charged up the hill, straight toward a small child running across the lot.  A man from the crowd bolted out between two cars and scooped up the child only seconds before the bison ran right through the spot where she had been standing.  The Bison kept on running into the woods and no one was hurt. The tourists on the bus ended up with an amazing tale to take back home but probably not very many photos of that particular bison.  

The Bison Prince artwork was one of the first paintings I did after returning home from that trip.

This painting is 24" x 30", oil on canvas with a barn-wood frame.