capture the timelessness of nature. Although he depicts a
particular moment in the present, in his work there is the sense
that the scene is just as it was one hundred years in the past, as
well as the hope that it will forever remain the same.
Born in Salem, Oregon, Frederickís fascination with animals
stems from his childhood. When he was a second-grader, he was
given a copy of the late Roger Tory Petersonís Field Guide to
the Birds. The appreciation he developed for the wilderness
early in his life has never waned; it has continually intensified.
He finds that when heís painting, he canít wait to get back
into the wilderness to observe animals. When heís outside,
surrounded by nature, heís anxious to get back to his studio so
he can paint it.
says, ďIíll look for a particular species, and what Iíll see
is something totally unexpected. The unpredictability of seeing
animals in the wild is as exciting as actually seeing them ó
itís what I call planned unpredictability. And when you do see
what youíve planned, itís serendipity.Ē At
Willamette University, Frederick majored in art and minored in
biology. He sculpted and experimented with different media,
developing his unique style on his own.
When in the field,
Frederick takes many photos of the animals and their environment.
These are followed by thumbnail sketches to accompany his notes.
Once in the studio, he assembles his photos to help him to fill in
the details. But it is the memory of the actual experience in the
wild and the emotions connected with it that generates the idea,
firing the creation of the painting.
the stiff Belgian linen he uses exclusively, he begins by drawing
the background landscape on the canvas. He then draws the animals
on separate pieces of paper so that he can superimpose them,
moving them around until he achieves the ideal composition. Using
primarily oils and gouache, he adds layers of glazes to attain
tighter detail and the atmospheric effect of transparent colors. A
large painting usually takes about one month to complete.
Rod Frederick was
the first-ever Featured Artist at the prestigious Pacific Rim
Wildlife Art Show. There is complexity in his work with the light,
perspective and atmosphere intermingling to set the stage. The
result is not merely a scene, but an entire drama. Often,
different species unobtrusively share top billing with the star
attraction, as all of the characters interact with the habitat.
Only someone who has scaled the heights and ventured into the
unknown can capture the mood associated with such moments, and
because Frederick has, his paintings have the power to transport