This painting is oil on canvas, 16"x20", completed by Stephen in September 2014. Bighorn Sheep summer in the craggy peaks and meadows near or above timberline. I've tried to capture that rugged alpine scenery where the pines are dwarfed and twisted by winds and high altitude, the snowbanks remain well into late June, and the skyline is offset by brilliant blue sky. Rams typically have a harem of ewes with which they mate and that they defend from other males, especially during the rutting season. During the early fall when mating season is in full swing, one can hear the crash of rams horns reverberating off the peaks and meadows as they fight for supremacy. Two rams will walk a distance away from each other, turn, and almost as if on signal they will charge and crash together, repeating the process until one is too weak or hurt to continue. I remember these scenes from my youth living in Yellowstone Park.