The wild feline is one of my favorite subjects to paint. Since it's impossible for me to just pick up and go to search out a tiger in the wild, I travel instead to a wonderful facility, Carnivore Preservation Trust in Pittsboro, NC. CPT is home to over two hundred exotic wild cats, including fifteen tigers who have plenty of room to roam around their large, specially built enclosed areas.

While at CPT, I'm on my own, free to sketch, photograph or just be "with" the animals. When I visit the tigers, I always greet them with a chuffling sound. To return my greeting and say hello. the tigers will come right up to the enclosure fence and chuff back, then return to their usual business. This is precious time for me, a time when I can watch tigers being tigers -- be it passive, aggressive, or just royally beautiful.

You can visit these wonderful animals too by going to my LINKS page or clicking here on www.cptigers.org.