I enjoy the challenge of painting the beautiful, elegant leopard. Good fortune during my travels has given me the privilege of observing these wild, elusive cats many times in various settings and behaviors. One of my most memorable leopard encounters occurred in a remote corner of the Serengeti. We observed a male leopard for almost two hours during the late afternoon. Abruptly, the leopard turned, walking directly towards us! We were only a leap away, but I was thrilled to be so close to a wild leopard! He moved within a few feet of our open-top safari vehicle, and the thought of being a “boxed lunch” for a leopard crossed my mind. He was a perfect fusion of lean muscle, power, and grace, a wild male leopard in his prime. Suddenly, he turned and looked at me square in the eyes! My heart raced as this wild predator steadily held my gaze. While looking through my leopard photos, I noticed he was so close I could see the clouds and the sky reflected in his eyes. In one picture, I zoomed in on his eyes and could see myself reflected!