Imagine an afternoon in the woods. Although it is mid-day, it is dark among the shadows of the trees. More active in the early morning and late afternoon, the stag is resting now. Perhaps he is watching the females that surround him, within his view but not ours. Although he is lying down, resting, he is ever alert.

The white-tailed deer is one of the most beautiful deer in North America. This is a portrait of a fine stag of the species. Here only the stag is in focus; the background is difused, and serves only to enhance the tonal gradation and composition of the painting. When you see an animal in the wild, you look with all of your attention and concentration on the animal; the background becomes blurred, out of focus. When I paint a particular scene or setting, I include everything I see in detail. This painting, however, is a portrait of the stag, with little or no background to distract your attention from the animal.

"Peaceful" is a painting that is an illustration of a feeling rather than a place. I believe that an artist paints because he wishes to express spirit, experience, memories and feeling.

- Jorge Mayol