40″x30″ Acrylic on Wood Panel, April 2008

This painting is based on the song “Tiger Whitehead” off of the Johnny Cash children’s album, and is loosely a self-portrait of Caitlin and I in the roles of Sally Garland. It was painted as a gift for Caitlin.

Wild blackberries bloomin’ in the thickets on the mountain
Sheep shire and water cress are growin’ round the fountain
Where a big black bear is drinkin’, lappin’ water like a dog
Tiger Whitehead’s in the bed sleepin’ like a log
Tomorrow he’ll see bear tracks seven inches wide
And by sundown he’ll be bringin’ in the hide

Pretty Sally Garland comin’ down the mountain side
Where Tiger Whitehead’s tryin’ to nap at mill, at the mill
She sits down on a bearskin and she says you’ll be my man
I’ll have me the best bearhunter in the hills
A wild child was Tiger Whitehead and they say he killed
Ninety-nine bears before he went to rest, went to rest
Once he left two bearcubs orphaned but he brought ‘em right on home
And Sally nursed the two bearcubs upon her breast

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