While studying moose, beaver, ducks and herons in the Algonquin Park in Ontario, Canada, an invasion of black flies forced me to stay close to the lodge area which was relatively free of the flies. As a result, I was able to spend hours observing eastern chipmunks, which I was anxious to do as I was already familiar with the western species. It was not difficult to find them once you knew how to spot the location of their burrow entrance. The much lighter colors and different pattern of stripes were obvious differences in the eastern chipmunk. Watching them run under the dark pine trees and then suddenly reappear in the bright light was a delightful scene and it inspired me to do this painting. - CB