Snow Leopard

Snow leopards are isolated creatures. I’ll be honest, I envy them quite a lot. To be left alone to enjoy life in the mountains of Tibet?

They’re able to leap down mountains and have the strength to climb back up (with food) all the way to their dens. They live out their lives away from others, revealing themselves only when they’re about to pounce.

Despite their isolation, they’re beautiful creatures and, in this case, quite playful. She was one of the zoo animals in the Montgomery Zoo. She followed me down the steps and posed for me in her enclosure.

I’m not a fan of zoos but for animals that are endangered and in need of survival, I can’t help but support those efforts.

I taught a workshop, The Art of Wildlife, where I showed attendees how to composite a scene and use real pencils as digital brushes to create this image. I drew back in her spots and sharpened her as a result, recoloring her eyes, and used imagery from my adventures in Rocky Mountain National Park to recreate her natural habitat.