John Banovich - Fresh Water

Over the last twenty five years of my painting career I have found inspiration for a specific subject to be simply the light. The spectrum of visible light is made up of seven wavelength ranges that each correspond to a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This spectrum makes everything in our world possible to see and the ordinary becomes extraordinary with good lighting. While on the surface it seems I create objects and animals, I have always felt that through my art I simply reveal light.

This leopard was making her way down to a waterhole for an early morning drink after a successful hunt. I loved the way light revealed such exquisite beauty and grace. She will most likely spend the remainder of the day resting in the shade of an acacia tree. Leopards have beautiful faces and patterns of rosettes that run in rows. When laying out the spot patterns an artist must get this exactly right or it will not define the mass and shape of this sinewy and muscular cat. Leopards are the must difficult cats to paint which, of course, makes them one of my favorites!