Waiting

Waiting is a painting I did based on an original colored pencil drawing, Golden, which was on display in 2026 at the WA State Fair in Puyallup WA.  I used the drawing as a study, and scaled up to create this version in watercolor.

I kept the palette purposely simple, using blue and burnt sienna to create the browns and dark golden mane areas, with highlights in yellow.  It was very important to me in this work to get the eyes to be compelling and realistic, I wanted to convey that the lion was focused on something in the distance and create a narrative and tension suggesting that something big is about to happen. 

Once I had the eyes dialed in, I worked on the remainder of the face, keeping brushwork gestural but also somewhat realistic.  

The mane itself is a flight of fancy, with geometric shapes flowing into each other to suggest the individual strands of fur and also a rhythm and movement as it circles the face area.  One the lower and right-hand sections there is a semi-realism which dissolves into geometrical suggestive patterns on the left and forehead.

I really love how he turned out.  

Original Artwork

Professional grade watercolor on 18" x 24" Arches 140lb 100% cotton cold press paper. Signed by the artist.

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