shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileMontana

the Lamar Valley, northeast Yellowstone

Bull elk bugling Lamar herd

Name: Bull elk bugling Lamar herd — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — the sound that empties the air.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“September in the Lamar Valley, and the rut is on. A bull tilts his head back and the bugle climbs through three octaves before it breaks, then falls into a low grunting cough. Cows graze. Another bull answers from across the river. The sound carries a mile across the sage, and the pull-offs along the road fill up with spotting scopes by first light. — from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

Bull elk bugling Lamar herd, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Bull elk bugling Lamar herd

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

The Lamar Valley sits in the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park, drained by the Lamar River between the Absaroka and Washburn ranges at roughly 6,500 feet. It is often called America's Serengeti for the density of large mammals visible from the road. The Northeast Entrance Road, the only year-round east-side route into the park, runs the length of the valley between Tower Junction and Cooke City. The northern elk herd is the largest in the park.

— informed by Wikipedia — Lamar Valley, NPS — Yellowstone elk

— the season

The rut runs from early September into mid-October, peaking in the last week of September. Mature bulls hold harems of fifteen to thirty cows and bugle at dawn and dusk to advertise dominance and warn off rivals. By November the herd drops to lower winter range along the Yellowstone River north of Gardiner. Calving begins in late May. The valley road stays open year-round, the only stretch in the park that does.

— informed by NPS — Yellowstone elk

— the visit

Dawn and the hour before dusk are when the bugling carries. Pull-offs at Slough Creek, Soda Butte, and the Lamar River bridge are the classic glassing points; wolf-watchers have used the same turnouts since the 1995 reintroduction. Park regulations require staying at least 25 yards from elk and 100 yards from wolves and bears. Closest gateway towns are Gardiner at the North Entrance and Cooke City at the Northeast Entrance.

— informed by NPS — Yellowstone safety

— where

United States · Park County, Montana / Yellowstone National Park

— within

Yellowstone National Park

— elevation

2,000 m · 6,560 ft

— position

44.8986° N · 110.2147° W

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

8 km W

Slough Creek

trout stream

6 km E

Soda Butte

travertine cone

30 km E

Cooke City

gateway town

60 km W

Gardiner

gateway town

Bull elk bugling Lamar herd

Slough Creek

Soda Butte

Cooke City

Gardiner

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Bull elk bugling Lamar herd — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

From early September through mid-October, peaking in the last week of September. Bugling is loudest at dawn and the hour before dusk, when bulls are actively challenging rivals and holding harems.

Because of the density of large mammals visible from the road: elk, bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, wolves, grizzly and black bears. Few other places in North America put that many species in one open valley.

Most of the northern Yellowstone herd drops to lower-elevation winter range along the Yellowstone River north of Gardiner, where snow is shallower and forage is easier to reach through January and February.

A dominant bull during peak rut typically holds fifteen to thirty cows. He spends most of his energy fending off rival bulls and rarely eats, often losing significant body weight by the time the rut ends.

Park regulations require staying at least 25 yards from elk and bison and 100 yards from bears and wolves. Bulls during the rut are unpredictable and have charged photographers who closed the gap.

The Northeast Entrance Road between Tower Junction and Cooke City runs the length of the Lamar Valley. It is the only park road open to wheeled vehicles year-round.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The bugle is the sound the season is built around. A Medium or Large in Glossy carries weight for a hunter, guide, or outfitter who knows that valley by ear.

Mountain-modern, lodge, and warm rustic interiors. The sage greens and amber backlight sit easily next to log, leather, and woven wool without leaning kitsch.

It fits the current western-modern shift toward restrained palettes and one strong focal piece. Works above a leather sofa, a console with bronze hardware, or a stone hearth.

Above a standard sofa, a Large is the natural read. For a wider great-room wall a 4-tile Mural at about thirty-two inches; a 9-tile Mural is the statement size for a lodge.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes are scratch-resistant and steam-tolerant. Reserve the Glossy finish for dry rooms where it can sit under direct light.

Microfibre cloth and plain water. No abrasive pads, no ammonia. The colour is set into the surface and does not lift with everyday cleaning.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is composed in-house by Reid Wender and finished by the studio. We do not license or resell other artists' work.

— if this one stayed with you