Early one misty October morning in an Alaskan spruce forest I watched a lynx as he was hunting. After he passed out of sight I tried to call him back by imitating an injured mouse squeak. I stood quietly watching for a long time and eventually turned to leave only to discover that the lynx had approached me from behind and was quietly watching me from only a couple feet away. After my initial surprise I was impressed by the rich wet colors and textures of the woods, a perfect complement to the soft grey of the lynx. I added the chickadees to tell more of a story with this painting.