"African Lion" - oil painting

Oils on canvas (30×40 inches) (sold)

This painting took a long time to complete, mostly because of the large size of the painting. During my visit to South Africa in March 2009, I took photo’s of this majestic male lion who was watching his lionesses stalk our vehicle.

Visually, the male lion is highly distinctive and is easily recognized by its mane. The lion, particularly the face of the male, is one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture.

Lions spend much of their time resting and are inactive for about 20 hours per day.

The lion (Panthera leo) is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger.

The mane of the adult male lion, unique among cats, is one of the most distinctive characteristics of the species. It makes the lion appear larger, providing an excellent intimidation display; this aids the lion during confrontations with other lions and with the species’ chief competitor in Africa, the spotted hyena.

The rule of thumb is the darker and fuller the mane, the healthier the lion. Sexual selection of mates by lionesses favors males with the densest, darkest mane.

The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of thirty to fifty percent over the past two decades in its African range. Lion populations are untenable outside of designated reserves and national parks.

Habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. (wiki)

Little sister - cheetah cub

(Please click on images for a better view)
Little Sister is one of the four cheetah cubs rescued by Wilma (see posting about "Survivors".) I am not sure what name Wilma chose for her but I think of her as 'Little Sister' or 'Sussie'.

She is cheeky, beautiful and more confident than her siblings. Staring straight at you, challenging and daring.

Most animal paintings take about three months to paint as it's a very slow process, working away, layer after layer. Glazing and painting, every day a little bit at a time.

But!
Every little hair is lovingly painted and I get lost looking into their eyes. Amber and gold, their eyes are liquid pools of honey.

Big cats are fascinating to paint as are all animals, wild or domesticated. Not an easy subject unless you are truly passionate about animals and you are prepared to spend a lot of time on one painting.

I hope to build up my collection of wildlife paintings so that, one day, I can have a solo exhibition of wildlife to help support animal welfare and conservation projects. This little lady was sold to a South African couple as a wedding present and I still miss her little face. It's hard to part with a wildlife painting and I wish I could keep them all.

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on earth, reaching speeds of up to 100 kph (70mph). Beautiful and sleek, they are the smallest of the big cats and their prey is often stolen by other predators.

Highly threatened, these animals are in great need of protection. For more facts about cheetahs, please visit http://www.cheetah.org and http://www.dewildt.org.za/index.htm

And, should you feel so inclined and have a few coins lying around, please support wildlife conservation or your local animal welfare society.