Silver hoof

A red deer stag stands facing slightly toward the viewer, its head turned and ears alert, tall multi-pointed antlers rising above a shaggy brown coat. The animal fills most of the square canvas, legs planted on pale, icy-looking ground that merges into a mottled white background.

The background is built almost entirely from a silvery, near-monochrome mix of white, grey and ivory, applied with a palette knife in heavy, scraped ridges. Warm russet and umber tones model the stag's fur in loose, ropy strokes that contrast with the cool, icy surroundings. The rugged impasto surface and stark palette give the image a still, wintry quiet.