Forest Ascendant

A buck rises on his hind legs in the timber, stretching for a licking branch just out of reach. It's the kind of behavior you rarely see—a deer going vertical to leave his scent where it matters, front legs dangling, neck extended, completely focused on the branch overhead. Slender hardwoods frame him on all sides, their trunks drawing the eye upward with him. Late summer light filters through the canopy, soft and green, catching the dust and pollen in the air. The thick, impasto brushwork gives the scene texture and motion, turning a moment of raw instinct into something almost reverent. This is a buck claiming his ground.