Lion at Ein Hod

This is an acrylic painting on canvas (11" X 14") from a photo I took in Israel several years ago. The statue is by Ursula Malbin, who is now 91 (and has many beautiful statues throughout Israel and other places). I thought this would be a challenging painting to do and it was. I had a very hard time with the face. The statue does not have irises or pupils, but I felt the painting needed them. I used light modeling paste to give the lion's mane and some other places texture. When it dries, I will varnish it.

This statue is at Ein Hod in Israel, an artists colony. I hope to go back there again in 2012. There was a big fire last year, so I hope that the artists have had a chance to rebuild and create new art.