Finished

Kopje King

30" x 47.5"

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Yes, I painted out the lioness. It was a tough decision but I am glad I did. My friend Lisa saw the finished version and said, "Oh no, she's gone. You Murderer!" In her joking way, I guess Lisa is right. I did kill the lioness from the story. Sometimes as artists, we need to let go of our preconceived plans and let the painting speak. I imagine an author has to go through the same process of editing. A character who is not advancing the plot is cut from the script.

But for those of you who miss the lioness, take a close look at the intensity in the lion's eyes. (you can click on the image and see it bigger.) Maybe the lion sees her in the distance and any moment he will rise and go meet her. (how is that for spin?)

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As for the title, this was a tricky one. My whole story had changed and I had to see the piece from a different light. From his eyes, he is not really at rest. Shadow, shade, Rex, Simba, Respite all figured into titles one way or another and didn't work. My final choice was to note the rocks he was using for his spot out of the noonday sun. Kopje is the Dutch word for the rocky outcroppings found on the African veld. I could have used the Africaans "koppie" but I liked the sound and look of "kopje" better.