Khan and the Tiger

Khan & the Tiger, 20" x 20", oil on canvas, copyright 2017 K.Widger

Ever since I saw "Life of Pi", several times, featuring the Bengal tiger called 

 Richard Parker, I have wanted to paint a Bengal.  It's not as easy as you 

might think to come up with a photo of a particular type of animal that

 is good enough to use as a reference, that "says" what you want it to say,

 especially if there are no Bengal tigers in your immediate area, or within 

many hundreds of miles, for that matter.  I am thankful to Artist Reference 

Photos for the use of this one, taken by a generous photographer of a 

Bengal tiger in a refuge.  (I added the Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, 

as a sort of "counterpoint" to the strength and power of the tiger, 

and artists always take certain liberties with photographs, by necessity).  

All the Big Cats are critically endangered now.  Their habitats are shrinking

 daily, their meat and body parts in ever increasing demand for folk 

medicine. I hope to draw attention to their strength, their majesty, and 

their right to exist safe from poachers and those who would profit 

from their extinction.  The next time you see a Big Cat in a zoo or

 sanctuary or preserve, consider that it might be the last Big Cat you will 

ever see alive.  

All of my paintings are available for purchase.  If you see one you are

 interested in, please contact me.  Gallery inquires welcome.  And you can

 purchase prints and other merchandise of most of my animal paintings 

at Fine Art America.com:  https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/katy-widger.html

Your comments and feedback are always welcome. Thanks for looking!