‘The Gaze’ by Vikki Jackson was inspired by a real-life bobcat encounter.
I am a migrator, much like the snow geese, swallows and even some dragonflies. I crave new adventures and discoveries. My summer home is in Whatcom County and on Stuart Island in the San Juans. I grew up in the Northwest — working as a professional ecologist for more than 30 years — and the forests are where I am most comfortable and feel like a comfy old sweater. I now spend winters in a small remote town in southern Arizona, Ajo. It is surrounded by thousands of acres of desert wilderness. I have fallen in love with the contrasts in my life from the dense soft green of the Northwest to the harsh desert where the bones of the earth dominate the world. Despite the extreme differences in the places I call home there are commonalities that tie them together.
“The Gaze” is a piece inspired by a wildlife species that transcends both worlds I live in. Bobcats occur in both places I live and are particularly common in my desert home. Bobcats are our most common wildcat in North America and are closely related to the Canadian lynx. They live from southern Canada all the way into South America and can be found coast to coast in the U.S. They can be found in the wildest places, but also in urban habitats. They thrive in marginal habitats that other predators are not as successful in.
“The Gaze” was painted after watching a bobcat sit near our bird feeder in Arizona. It sat for hours waiting for that perfect moment to grab a meal. It enjoyed a late breakfast of rock pigeon that day. At one point, it turned its head and gave me this gaze. Many people become angry when predators such as bobcats and hawks take a feeder bird, but I look at it as a “trophic feeder.” Trophic refers to the different levels on a food chain. An herbivore, such as a pigeon, is at a different trophic level than a predator. There are typically far more animals that are at the lower trophic levels such as grass and seed eaters. Predators occupy a higher trophic layer and are typically less abundant. It is a treat for me to spy a predator scoping out my feeder. At my feeders, all trophic levels are fed and welcome — from the vegetarian quail to the predatory bobcat or hawk.
I have been painting for over 25 years, and my goal with my art is to be honest to the subjects I paint. I try to make sure I have an accurate depiction of the plant or animal but do it in a stylized manner that makes you turn your head and say, “I know that bird!” I typically paint subjects that I have encountered and have a personal story tied to them. I spend most of my spare time outdoors hiking and exploring. There are so many stories to be shared. I have dabbled in a variety of mediums, but I typically paint in acrylics. “The Gaze” is acrylic and metal leaf on a repurposed wood panel. I like to reuse things to paint on to add a bit of interest and sustainability to the work.
— By Vikki Jackson
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Bird flu is spreading to wild mammal populations,” Oct. 9, 2025
• “Bellingham’s beautiful forest,” Sept. 29, 2025
• “Surge of mountain lion sightings not unusual,” Sept. 5, 2025
• “A change of scenery: iconic Western sculptures to trade places,” Sept. 4, 2024
• “Returning wildlife to the wild is a one-by-one effort,” Feb. 24, 2023