Big Cats generally hold our attention as powerful and beautiful animals, but I don’t think that the Amur Leopard gets the zeitgeist attention that she deserves. This may be due to the fact that there simply aren’t as many around; any zoo in the western world worth admission will have a lion or tiger, but very few have an amur leopard. In the wild there are fewer than one hundred left, a poor statistic that is actually an improvement (thanks to conservation efforts in eastern Russia) compared to the near extinction they faced in the 1990’s. In comparison to her similarly spotted cousins, the Jaguar and the African Leopard, the Amur has a more rounded skull, a longer (and let’s face it, fluffier) coat, and astonishing blue-grey eyes. This painting is a dreamlike glimpse, capturing the moment a leopard briefly emerges from the shadows.

Acrylic on salvaged wood panel

120cm x 90cm

2022

Original artwork and limited edition prints available