#542 Pine Marten (12 x 16)

• Hand-signed by the artist,
• 10 x 14″ image area 12 x 16″ trim
• (unmatted, but mats to 14 x 18),
• foam-core backed and bagged.

Leonardo Da Vinci worked on the Mona Lisa for 4 years, I worked on “Pine Marten” for 42 years. I guess that shows how immensely worse of an artist I am than Leonardo was. Actually, it’s not quite right to say I worked on this for 42 years. However, I did work on it now and then throughout that time period, some in each decade, and thanks to a great collector that period of time in my life has ended. Not that I think I should work on it more.  I really like the way it looked as I was painting up to the day before I delivered the original.

In the fall of 1982 my late Dad visited and complemented this painting most highly of the about 15 paintings I had gotten underway at that point.

Pine Martens are an extremely cute member of the Mustelid, or Weasel family. They are the smallest North American member of the Marta genus, smaller than Fishers or Wolverines, and tend to make a living chasing Red Squirrels (Douglas Squirrels in Washington state) and other animals in arboreal settings, they are extremely adept at climbing.