The Protector by Abraham Hunter *Exclusive Release*

I’ve been asked by a lot of friends and clients “so what’s your favorite thing to paint?”. It’s a hard question because almost everything inspires me. But sometimes I get a few free days to do what I want, and this painting is a result! I spent a lot of time in Illinois growing up. I spent so many days there chasing deer with my camera and hiking the hardwoods and fields, studying deer habitat. You can see how much I love doing that because of each meticulously rendered twig and branch in the forest, and each slightly differently colored leaf and the dozens of types of plants all mingled together in the November field. It’s therapeutic for me to sit and immerse myself in these details. 

In this painting, a proud Whitetail buck is in the mating season. He has found a doe and her child from the year before and is courting the mother. In late fall, a buck will defend his mate at all costs and will be so busy he won’t even eat. In this scene, he sees you as you’ve stumbled upon these deer in a small opening in the woods. He stands regally in front of his companions, defending them from you and whatever else he thinks could be a threat. He’s a protector!