In His Sights – The Hunter – Original Painting

Description

My neighbor had a wolf-dog.

This was a neighbor who we didn’t see a lot. My mom had to drop something off at our neighbor’s house. She was an older lady and had a high, chain-link fence, which I thought was unusual in front of a house, even in my preteen mind. The neighbor–and my mom–stressed not climbing or getting near the fence (as if my sisters and I could West-Side-Story up an eight-foot fence…look it up). The lady’s dog looked fine, I thought as I glanced at it.

But then, as my mom handed the package she had through an opening in the fence to the lady, I looked at the ‘dog’ again; it was a ‘dog’, the lady explained, which was a cross between a dog and a wolf. Even in my young mind, I could see nothing but the wolf from that moment on. The wolf dog sat still, about six feet beyond the fence, his eyes locked on my frame.

Yes, he was an absolute predator. If I hadn’t been warned, I would have done what I did with every dog: walked up, held out my hand and waited for the requisite sniff. In this case, I may have pulled back less than I’d put out…If I hadn’t been warned.
I was fascinated by the wild animal, but grateful for that fence.
Warnings and boundaries are there for a reason. A lot of times, it’s not ‘cool’ or freeing to breach them.

“Behold, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” –Matthew 10:16

This painting was sitting in my head for a long time. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not just a portrait of a wolf. It’s a hunter. A predator. Reflected in his eyes is an innocent lamb who is close enough to be in danger.

All pieces are unframed unless otherwise noted. 12 x 16 x 1.5″ acrylic on nested birch panel.