This painting is about the natural world and wild animals. In this artwork, the symbols representing our natural environment are two leopards and a woman. You have to look very carefully at the female figure to realise that she is morphing into both of the leopards. This painting can be interpreted to mean that there are three leopards or three women!

The leopard in the background is hunting for her prey while the woman is awake. The woman’s character is like that of the leopard, alert, brave, and fast. When she is asleep, the leopard is inside the woman, guarding her.

The brown leopard does not know the woman is there. Note how the sleeping woman’s hand melts into the leopard in the background. The inner workings of all creatures are part of Mother Nature, their relationships are inter-connected, self-evident and need no explanation.  

My mother, who is a tapestry weaver, really liked this painting. She made a beautiful tapestry based on it that is just the same size as the original. It is included here. 

All the textures in this painting are painted in thin layers of paint, one upon another, with soft  brush strokes. As a result, the surface of the painting remains very flat. The entire painting is intended to give a very soft muted effect, a feel of blending on the canvas like in nature.