Blog

In October of 1995 Alfred Cooper took Michael on East Turner mountain overshadowing Katahdin Lake to show him the area and one of his favorite places to hunt from his tree stand. The tree stand greatly increases visibility through the thick dense forest. Michael says," On ground level I found it very difficult to see game through the thick foliage and even more of a challenge to hike quietly without being heard. This Tree stand improved Al's chances of remaining undetected, as he would spend countless quiet hours waiting and listening for game. The Tree stand was strategically placed right over what seemed like an intersection of game trails with the Turner trail not too far off. He asked me to stand still and remain quiet while he attempted to call in a moose. We heard noises, but to no avail, one didn't show. I wanted to make the thick background forest branches and blotchy bark patterns continue its design through the figure so that the viewer would be aware of how hidden the guide really appears. I was trying to counterchange the values and temperature of the colors in the tree trunk so that the nearer to the stand, it would appear dark against the light sky and down near the bottom it would be light against the cool dark forest. The leaves I would also counterchange by making them dark against the light and contrasting the light leaves against dark. This phenomenon in nature continued with the dark branches as well. I wanted to make it appear that the figure was climbing up out of a deep cool rich forest environment and into a warm light filled one. I wanted to create the nostalgic feeling of a hunter climbing to a new level to overcome his limited perception. To reach a place of having a keen ability to see and sense things more clearly."