Pictish Stag Drawing

 I am sitting here at my drawing table

finishing up this stag charcoal drawing that

I have been working on. As I look out the widow

I see a four point buck nibbling on some

plants down by the pond.
Such strange and beautiful creatures. In a way

they are like big dogs roaming free wherever

they want to go. (In the garden too!)

I imagine the ancients viewed them in various

ways as a source of food and clothing as well

as being a sacred animal and a gift from the gods.

The stag is also linked to the arts in poetry and music

and sculpture no doubt due to its graceful form and

mysterious ways. I have read somewhere that the early

Celts worship the stag along with a variety of other animals

and thought of them as spiritual beings and brothers to

themselves. They often apologized to the animal that they

hunted and slain for giving up their life so that they may live.

I think back on a movie that was out in the nineties called

“The Last of the Mohicans” where a indian character named Chingashgook

and his white son Hawkeye slay a elk in the opening scene. Chingachgook

leaning over the slain elk tells him. “We’re sorry to kill you, Brother.

Forgive us. I do honor to your courage and speed, and strength.”

A great example of one spirit recognizing another even if it be in

animal form.

I have added some photos on Pictish stone carvings where there are 

numerous examples of deer and stag engravings carved in stone thousands 

of years ago. I am amazed at some of the detail in a few of them. As a 

artist I appreciate the fine work.

I hope to include more art work in the future. My older brother Steve is

also a very talented artist whose craft is working in wood. I will post some

of his work in the future. My younger brother is the musician. If I can get

anything out of him I will include it as a sound bit on here.

These are charcoal renderings on gray charcoal paper

This may be a rabbit. What do you think?

Last but not least. If any of you have seen the James

Bond movie "SKYFALL" you might have noticed

towards the end of the movie when he goes back to

the home where is was raised in Scotland. There is this

magnificent sculpture of a stag as you pull into the long

road leading to his house. I thought I would include it

because I liked it so much. Cool eh!