GIANTS OF THE NORTHERN FORESTS

Bronze, 29.5″H x 24.5″L x 11″D, Limited Ed. of 35 – Created 2017

Vic continues his studies of North American wildlife and turns his attention to the giant of the North American forests and wetlands … the Moose.

“These majestic, noble creatures, who can stand upward to 7’H and weigh anywhere from 1200 – 1600 pounds, are extremely powerful and are indigenous to Alaska, the Northwest Territories of Canada and the United States. They are also found in Europe and Russia, but as a sculptor, I am drawn to the Bull Moose found in North America, where you can find some of the largest moose antlers in the Yukon Territory. These are the ‘Giants of the Northern Forests.’

With this latest sculpture, I wanted to capture the beauty and the peculiar grace that these giants of the forest possess. For me, the Bull Moose is at its most striking during the autumn. It is a season when the male Bull Moose engages in behaviors unseen at any other time of the year. In September and October, the otherwise solitary bull transforms. His bellowing calls echo through the forest, resonating with both challenge and desire. It is a dance of dominance and courtship – an age-old ritual that plays under the celestial canvas of the Northern lights. The moose engage in fierce battles with other bulls, as they vie for dominance and mating supremacy. It is a spectacle that defies time, a primal drama etched into the landscape of the Yukon.

It is my goal is to capture the feeling, emotion, power and beauty of these magnificent ‘Giants of the Northern Forests.’

–Vic Payne