Nikita Coulombe | Wildlife Paintings

Wildlife

The balance of the natural world has always been an inspiration in my work. Animals represent instincts and abilities that have evolved over many millennia through competition for resources and survival. They also reflect our own instincts, the good and the bad, in a more direct way. When I paint wildlife, I contemplate my own motivations and behaviors, imagining how my existence might be different if I was living the life of the subject that I'm painting. Would my thoughts and actions be more honest, beautiful, and pure? Or would my existence be more exposed, lawless, and stressful? It seems that while nature does permit moments of kindness and warmth, it includes at least as many moments of brutality and harshness. I feel the range of this participation exhibits itself in the intensity of the eyes of each animal, which is where I begin painting. Reminiscent of the 20th c. Canadian artist Robert Bateman as well as the 19th c. American artist Alexander Pope, my style brings animals to life through their gazes and captures the vitality of the moment with detail, light, and shadow.

Original paintings available for sale are noted in descriptions; prints of some pieces are available here.

The Philosopher (Eagle Owl), 20W x 20H inches, oil on canvas, SOLD

Note: this is an Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo Bubo).

Three Little Owls, 20W x 24H inches, oil on canvas, SOLD

This painting is about the beauty and brutality of nature. When I began working on the owls, everyone that saw them commented on how adorable they were going to be. As I continued, I started imagining what it would be like to be a mouse looking at this painting… those huge eyes... cute to us but no doubt terrifying to them. Nature can be so ruthless that some animals have even evolved to look like larger predators to avoid being eaten. Hence the addition of the owl butterfly in the shadows, whose wing pattern mimics owl eyes. The owl butterfly is a small reminder that even if you’re having a bad day, you can at least be happy about where you are in the food chain.

Note: these are Spotted Owlets
(Athene Brama).

Vulture Study, 12W x 16H inches, oil on canvas

Vulture Study is a portrait of a King Vulture based on a photograph that I saw. I thought the eyes were haunting and tried to capture that feeling in this painting.

Side note: these birds largely inhabit Central and South America. Next to Condors, the King Vulture is the largest of the New World Vultures with a wingspan of 4 to 7 feet. They are scavengers (i.e. eat decomposing animal carcasses left by other animals). Sometimes known as "nature's clean-up crew," they help maintain healthy ecosystems because they reduce the spread of contagious diseases. Across the world in Tibet, vultures help complete the cycle of life during sky burials. Due to the lack of trees and impenetrable soil bodies cannot be buried easily, thus "bya gtor," or "alms for the birds," is practiced.

Crane, 12W x 16H inches, oil on canvas

I thought the asymmetry of this Red-Crowned Crane's pose was interesting and took some inspiration for the coloring from Alexander Pope's still lifes. When I visited the De Young Museum in San Francisco I was mesmerized by his painting, "The Wild Swan."

Eagle Calling, 20W x 16H inches, oil on canvas

This painting was made for a combat veteran whose son, also a combat veteran, was killed in Iraq. Eagle was the handle the son used when they communicated while he was overseas.

Oryxes, 60W x 48H inches, acrylic on canvas

The oryxes in this painting are known as Gemsboks. I was inspired to paint them because I kept seeing foxes everywhere and one of my friends suggested looking up the Oryx as they possess a similar energy. I thought that they were beautiful animals and chose to highlight their agility and speed by putting them in the foreground of this painting to provide a sense of immediacy.

Original - $3,750

Crocodile Study, 20W x 16H inches, colored pencil on paper

This is one of my first wildlife drawings. I remember seeing a photograph in National Geographic of this little crocodile barely rising above the water and thought it was both beautiful and terrifying.

Related Commissions

Splash (A Great Catch), 24W x 48H inches, acrylic on canvas, SOLD