An Alaskan brown bear plunges into a swarm of salmon. For coastal brown bears, fish make up a significant portion of their diet, as they consume thousands of pounds each per year. PHOTO BY ROBERT HAWTHORNE
BIG SKY – It was too late for retreat when Robert Hawthorne, a
Montana native raised in the landlocked Rocky Mountains, realized he had
misjudged the tide. After spending 10 hours in the tidal mudflats off the west
coast of Alaska photographing brown bears digging for razor clams, he rushed to
make a futile attempt to return to his boat, which was anchored a half mile away.
Hauling a 60-pound backpack, he waged an unbalanced war against
thrashing 3-foot waves. Eventually he threw in the towel, retiring to a small
island in the bay. Without another person within 80 miles, an exhausted
Hawthorne emptied his soggy waders, ensured his camera equipment was intact and
pulled out a book to pass the time before another attempt toward his boat.
Hawthorne soon discovered that he wasn’t the only inhabitant on the island: A
mother brown bear and her cub passed by non-threateningly. Hawthorne grabbed a
camera, aimed and clicked the shutter.
As a child raised in the mountains, Hawthorne often delighted in
exploring the great depths of his backyard just south of Bozeman. Never with a
destination in mind, he would meander through woods and connect ridges, hoping
to witness one of nature’s magical productions. He took to chasing wildlife,
pushing boundaries and discovering the ways he could be nearest to them without
putting either party in danger. Hawthorne would return home with fantastic
tales of animal sightings, often to the disbelief of his family and friends. He
decided if he were to continue on his wild adventures, he would need a way to
deliver proof.
In 2015, at 16 years old, he bought his first camera: a Nikon D-7200. Hawthorne sought informal but meticulous training to further develop his photography skills. YouTube videos gave him a kickstart and continue to provide him tips and tricks, but pure practice proved to be his greatest tutor.
The budding photographer took his camera with him everywhere,
shooting a variety of scenes and subjects that would later be discarded. He
learned early on that what he needed to master was capturing fleeting moments
without fail. He knew his intended subjects wouldn’t wait for the perfect light
or frame in the ideal composition; it would be up to him to navigate the forces
working against his perfect shot.
Of all the animals that passed by Hawthorne’s lens, he took a
particular liking to the famed brown bear, of which grizzlies like those found
in Montana are a subspecies. Brown bears claim the classification of grizzly
when they live more inland and their diet isn’t primarily fish.
In May, Hawthorne nabbed a gig guiding photographers in the rugged
wildlands of Alaska—a state that is home to 98 percent of all the brown bears in
the U.S., according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The northernmost
U.S. state boasts rivers rich with salmon, creating a feeding oasis for brown
bears that each eat thousands of pounds of fish per year. “Alaska is truly
special,” Hawthorne said. “Nowhere else on this planet can you experience the
magnificent brown bear as you can there.”
From the base lodge on Lake Iliamna, Hawthorne was flown by bush
and float planes beyond Alaska’s sparse civilization into some of the most
untouched landscapes in the region, including Katmai National Park and
Preserve. After setting up camp, he would await the arrival of clients. His
days were spent guiding photographers through the Alaskan wilderness in search
of bears to capture. Over his guiding tenure, he spent a total of around eight
weeks camped out.
Brown bears and grizzlies are often revered among the deadliest
forces in the West, but after sharing a home with them for a summer, Hawthorne
has rethought this stigma. “I valued being that close to the animals and seeing
how strewn the common perceptions of them are,” he said. “They are defensive,
yes, but not man-hunting.” The photographer was often within 10-20 yards of the
bears and sometimes, incidentally, much closer. He credits the security in such
proximity to a mutual respect.
Hawthorne said it was imperative to know when the comfort
level of the animal had been breached, and when it was time to back away. “To
the animals, we are never more than tolerated guests in their home, and as long
as we take into careful consideration what it means to be a guest, we will
always be welcome back.”
Hawthorne currently resides back in Bozeman, where he is
sorting through nearly 40,000 photos of Alaskan brown bears fishing, playing
and existing in the foreground of snow-dotted Alaskan peak backdrops. He will
split his time this winter between the slopes of his home mountain, Bridger
Bowl, and shooting timeless images of Montana wildlife.
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.