Latest lion painting

'Blood Reign' acrylic and mixed media
​on canvas 90cm x 90cm

This portrait of a male African lion was inspired in part by the utterly senseless death of Cecil. He was a 13 year old lion hunted down and killed by an American trophy hunter several months ago causing international outrage. At 13 he would have been without doubt a very powerful lion to have survived to that age given the brutal nature of a males life. Forming coalitions of two or more these mighty big cats dominate the African landscape and are synonymous with Africa. Populations of lions have dropped from around 450,000 to the present day 21,000 in less than 50 years due to human encroachment, trapping, trophy hunting and habitat loss. Lions are in trouble and at serious risk of extinction by 2020 unless something is done to stop the persecution of these magnificent animals. Africa without lions just wouldn't be Africa.