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Atonement,  my eighth and final image of the Yellowstone series,  portrays the changes eight years after the fires and the return of some old familiar faces.

There are still visible scars from the ‘88 fires - it’s very important not to let them detract from what has happened since.  On my last visit to the park to do research for this piece, I found that the forest floor was more than wildflowers and grasses - there were seedlings everywhere!  The full canopy of trees that I enjoyed as a child, I know I will never see again, but  for certain my great grandchildren will; on the contrary they will never encounter Yellowstone as we are able to today.  What a wondrous time to enjoy the park; every year the experience changes.

The reintroduction of the wolves into the park has been and still is, a very controversial subject.  At one time, the newcomer to the Yellowstone area was not the wolf;  with the westward movement of the pioneers, and the advent of tourism, man became the intruder.  All sides of the controversy have valid points.  Is it too idealistic to think that there would be some common ground where both could coexist?

It’s been my experience that  picking a title for  a piece is the easiest part of the creative process, but this painting was different.  I wanted a powerful title, one that would catch the viewers attention and draw them into the piece.  I explored many avenues but kept returning to Atonement which means “to make amends for an offense or injury” -  I believe it fits.

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