Snow Leopard painting

Just off the easel
The Ghost in the Mountains
acrylic mixed media on canvas
90cm x 90cm

Without a doubt this painting has been my most experimental. Using a combination of acrylic paint, stencilling, torn and printed paper, it has challenged my creativity to the limit. I wanted to say something about the rugged habitat of Central Asia and the ancient cultures that these elusive beautiful and shy cats share with man. Increasingly endangered these cats are hunted for their striking skins and their bones are used in Chinese medicine. The snow leopards prey is primarily wild goats and sheep but they have been known to attack domestic animals and are often killed by herders defending their animals. Huge efforts are being made to educate indigenous people in ways to protect their livestock and not kill these stunning cats. Pressure to survive also comes from depleted prey species such as Ibex and Baral sheep that are killed by recreational hunters. 

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