Deer in the Woods

Deer in the Woods
Franz Marc, 1912. Oil on Canvas. Städtische Gallerie im Lembachhaus, Munich.

To me, Franz Marc has always been a special artist – not because he was German but because most of his work is about animals/wildlife, with an angle of suffering well expressed in his riotous use of bold colours, especially reds. His most famous painting, “Fate of the Animals”, bears his inscription on the rear: “…and all being is flaming agony”. Unfortunately, he died far too young at only 36 years of age. Great loss for the expressionist movement if you ask me.

So, no doubt I HAD to use this picture as a base for a layout. Despite its sad connotation it conjured up a rather happy memory: our visits to the deer park that was about an hour’s train ride from home. We went there at least once every summer and I was always looking forward to it! I always insisted that whoever took me would also buy a bag of animal food at the entrance. The park had different types of deer in separate enclosures, but all of them were of course used to being fed by the visitors and would come to the fence freely, eating straight from your hand. I loved it, in fact more so than our much more regular visits to the various local zoos where feeding wasn’t allowed. Or maybe it was because, then as now, I preferred to see the animals in a more natural environment? (Photo August 1972)

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Mainly papers and cutouts from HOTP Scrapper's Solution book; plus notelet and diecuts from Club Scrap The Great Outdoors; plus 3D sticker from K+Co "Happy Trails".