Nature Canada's 2016 "Art for Nature" Auction

Red Tail Hawk Mantling

Size: Print - framed 38 x 19”

“I remember painting this wintery picture right in the heart of a hot summer. I wished it was winter in that I could take a walk along one of our stone fences to see how the moss and lichen poke through the snow. Winter was far off though, so I used what reference material I could find and a large measure of memory and imagination. The patterns made by the light, rock, moss and lichen were all items I needed to orchestrate, and having done similar things before didn’t make the problem and easier.

The hawk is in a “mantling” attitude, a posture I find exciting and one that is common to many birds of prey. They do this after they have made a kill, spreading their wings to cover and protect their victim. I haven’t shown what it is the hawk has killed, leaving that part to the imagination of the viewer. Anyone who is familiar with these birds will know what my hawk is doing even though no element of the actual prey is visible” – George McLean

Artist: George McLean

George McLean has always loved animals of all sorts and felt he had no other way of communicating his feelings for them, except through his work. He says that his ambition is to paint more pictures better and to deal with his subjects in situations which are not photographable. His painstaking attention to detail and subtle shading require endless hours before the easel and he produces only six or seven major paintings each year.