Original Oil on Canvas by Geoffrey C. Smith, 2024
60"w x 48"h
 
This painting captures a moment Geoffrey C. Smith will never forget—standing among fireweed and golden aspen just southeast of Anchorage, in the foothills near Powerline Pass, watching a massive Alaskan bull moose guarding a cow at the height of the rut. The autumn air was electric with tension, and the colors of September were ablaze.
 
Moose are the largest members of the deer family—towering, solitary creatures of the northern forests and tundra. In Alaska, bull moose can weigh over 1,500 pounds, their palmate antlers spanning more than six feet across. But it’s not just size that defines them—it’s presence. They are felt before they are seen: a crash in the brush, a stillness in the willows. During the rut, that presence becomes power.
 
The rut is a primal, ancient season. Bulls wallow in mud and urine to amplify their scent, challenge rivals with broad displays of antler, and issue deep, guttural bellows across the valley. When they clash, it’s with thunderous force—antler against antler—a test of strength and endurance that determines which genes will carry forward. This ritual, as old as time, ensures the vitality and balance of the species.
 
Moose play a keystone role in the northern ecosystem. By browsing on willow and birch, they shape the forest’s growth; their calves sustain bears and wolves; and their trails open passage through wetlands for countless other species. In life and in death, the moose nourishes the land.
 
Smith painted the scene with thick palette-knife strokes—layer upon layer of autumn color, saturated oranges, magentas, and yellows from Alaska’s fall understory. The bull stands proud, crowned in ivory, while the cow keeps close. Between them is a quiet poetry—fierce and tender at once. The landscape, too, hums with anticipation, alive with the energy of the wild.
 
“This is a painting of power and partnership—of the ancient rhythm that calls wild things together under the changing leaves. You can almost hear the breath of the bull, feel the weight of his antlers, smell the autumn wind.”
— Geoffrey C. Smith
 
Featured in World on Fire, Solo Exhibit 2025