Painting a Leopard

African Leopard, Kruger National Park, Oil on canvas 14" x 21" c Katy Widger May 2016

This is a wild leopard from Kruger National Park in S. Africa.  While not labeled as endangered right now, many species of leopards are critically endangered.  Since he's a wild fellow, not a resident of a zoo, he has no "name" to identify him as an individual.  But, in God's eyes, he is an individual, and he does have a name.  I am so glad that there is a National Park in S. Africa where he can roam free and live his life as a wild leopard, apart from confinement and the imminent threat of extinction, or bullets, traps, poisons and snares, an unnatural death at the hands of man.  

Credit to Marna Buys for reference photo on Photos for Artists.

Pet Portrait Contest! Please Vote!

"Joy Ride" 16" x 24" oil on canvas C Katy Widger

"Wyatt's in the jump seat, Zeke likes to drive on our way to the Dog and Soccer Park in Edgewood, every day possible!"

Dick Blick Art Supplies is hosting an online Pet Portrait Contest. Winner gets $300 worth of art supplies and some good national publicity.  I'd sure love to win this, mostly for the publicity, but the art supplies are very nice, too.

You can vote for this painting using this direct link http://bit.ly/1s1gUAu starting today, May 23 through May 30. You can vote every 24 hours until then!  Please vote!  It just takes a second to click on the link, and then click on the "vote" tab.  No need to leave name or email; you can vote anonymously!

You can also see a darling TV interview featuring Wyatt (and me) on the Morning Brew with Larry Ahren's here on YouTube:  The Morning Brew with Larry Ahrens featuring Katy Widger and Wyatt   Wyatt was a real character, as usual, and everyone in the studio wanted to meet him afterwards!  If only dogs could talk!