King of the Realm

Usually in my painting I try to show wildlife in action or blending in some less obvious way with its environment, but I had a purpose in doing this posed male. The purpose was to show the dignity and majesty of the animal in an obvious way. The original painting was done for the Queen's Jubilee Exhibition at the Tryon Gallery in London. I thought it was appropriate to show the "King of the Beasts" in a kingly manner for this occasion.

An advanced social animal like the lion has many moods and many roles. Sometimes he is hen-pecked by the females in his pride. Sometimes he is the silly playful father. Near the end of his life he may be a pitiful, lonely outcast, ending his days in the jaws of a hyena pack.

This painting is a composite of the many noble lions I have seen, showing the "king" in the maturity of his rule. He is ruler of his pride and ruler of many square miles of hunting territory. His resting place is high in a granite outcrop, a protrusion of ancient Africa which rises above the game-filled plains. This is his realm.