Leopardess

Symbology

Woman: The Protagonist.

Leopardess: The source of her raw, primal power.

Necklace: The key to her liberation.

Chains/prison bars: Her habitat, but is it really home?

Fur coat: What she wears to other conceals conceals her secrets.

Meat: That which sustains her core wounds.

How can one express an experience so beautiful, yet so devastating to someone that has never experienced it? It is said a painting says a thousand words, so let this be my say on it.

As we glance at this clearly beautiful woman, we ask why she is in this prison. We notice her sensual and delicate features are a contrast to the still, but fierce leopardess sitting in front of her. Her intense gaze mirror the ferocity in the eye of the leopardess. Notice how the woman wears a leopard coat that almost seamlessly connects with the fur of the living creature. Why are they both is such a prison. Perhaps this depressing image (at first glance) seems very one dimensional in its emotive message. However, look closely for there are signs of hope. After all, the key to liberate us is within us.

The romantic experience that inspired this painting cried out to be expressed in a way beyond the typical. That cry gave rise to a new language: conceptual pinup. That is why Leopardess is the first piece of this genre. If you listen to the figures, colors, and textures, this painting will tell you what happened. The result is a dance between sensuality, darkness, intensity, and hopefulness.