White on White - Snowshoe Hare by Robert Bateman

White on White - Snowshoe Hare by Robert Bateman

 

Published in1989

 

"The snowshoe hare is a classic animal of the boreal forest. Its range is virtually the same as the northern wilderness. In fact, even its coat is perfectly suited to the land that is for half the year covered with snow. In the summer it is a warm brown which blends prefectly with the humus and coniferous needles of the forest floor. In winter its coat is, of course, white which provides camouflage and protection from the predators. This seasonal change of color gives it its other name, 'varying hare'.

"This painting presented a challenge. In order to make the animal stand out, the logical place to put it would have been in front of the dark vegetation, but I thought it would be more interesting to paint the hare as nature had intended it - white against white. This gave me very little tonal room to maneuver and show all the form and textures on the hare." - R. Bateman