George McLean Presents "Red-Tailed Hawk Mantling"

“I remember painting this wintery picture right in the heart of a hot summer. I wished it was winter in that I could take a walk along one of our stone fences to see how the moss and lichen poke through the snow. Winter was far off though, so I used what reference material I could find and a large measure of memory and imagination. The patterns made by the light, rock, moss and lichen were all items I needed to orchestrate, and having done similar things before didn’t make the problem and easier.

The hawk is in a “mantling” attitude, a posture I find exciting and one that is common to many birds of prey. They do this after they have made a kill, spreading their wings to cover and protect their victim. I haven’t shown what it is the hawk has killed, leaving that part to the imagination of the viewer. Anyone who is familiar with these birds will know what my hawk is doing even though no element of the actual prey is visible” – George McLean