We all have one thing in common, we all have at least one foot in the wilderness. Or perhaps we should.
Whether lost like Jonah or on high adventure like Tom Sawyer we all are lost in some kind of way.
Although that is unlikely to be the case for our animal friends.
Animals are always where they need to be, and doing what they were designed to do.
We humans on the other hand, get ourselves and all kinds of trouble by way of forces that work against us, and pull us away from what we ought to be.
When that happens, we end up in the figurative version of the wilderness lost -- hurt, enslaved by negative emotions, full of anxiety and stress, that we otherwise could've avoided. Only if we remained content with who we are, and lived how we were supposed to.
This may be the single most important reason why I and so many people that I know have special connections with animals.
Wildlife, domesticated animals like dogs and cats, livestock, or cows, chickens, horses and goats tend to seem pretty content to me --almost no matter what their circumstances are.
No hidden agenda, no attempts to manipulate (except for maybe an occasional whimper in hopes of getting a treat..). They are who they are and they're perfectly happy to allow those around them do the same.
I think that's why I really enjoy spending time with and painting animals and landscapes.
Don't get me wrong... I enjoy painting the occasional human portrait. I really enjoy spending time with family and friends even meeting interesting strangers from time to time.
...but if I had my choice, I would voluntarily walk off into the wilderness. Take a hike for a while and paint. The end.