In this painting, the bison serves as a symbol both for who we are and what we've lost.

After starting on this painting, I decided to pair the bison with a cowbird. Their name comes from their habit of following bison or cattle for the insects that would have been around the herd. Cowbirds are brood parasites, which mean they don't build nests of their own, rather look for other bird species nests in which to lay their eggs.

There is a narrative that cowbirds evolved with bison herds, which being on the move most of time, would have made it impossible to for the female to stay with her nest until her chicks have hatched and left the nest. Whether or not this is true, the connection remains.