My latest painting is also the most difficult to date. Titled 'Enigma' which to me sums up the African leopard. I have a particular fondness for leopards, the mystery and elusiveness and incredible beauty of this stealthy animal just fascinates me. The complex patterning of their stunning coat which allows them to blend into their surroundings is also one of the hardest to get right in a painting. This big cat is also at risk, vulnerable to poaching from humankind for it's beautiful skin which throughout modern history has been prized as a fashion symbol of exotic beauty. African tribes such as the Zulu have always adorned themselves in leopard skin as a status symbol and for ceremonial dress. Solitary except when they need to reproduce the leopard is a supreme and adaptable hunter capable of bringing down prey much larger than themselves then hauling the kill up a tree out of reach of scavengers such as hyena.
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