Paws and Reflect
Artwork Description
“Paws and Reflect” was inspired by two experiences — two very different experiences, but with one fundamental similarity.
Tia was a tamed mountain lion, old and a little too well nourished but definitely a beauty. She greeted her owner with soft, throaty noises and purrs and rubbed against his leg like a house cat.
In sharp contrast to Tia was a mountain lion I met at a rehabilitation center. She was obviously terrified of humans and cowered and hissed as people walked by her cage. Returning her to the wild was not an option since she had been declawed.
In “Paws and Reflect,” the fallen feather represents an eagle free, free to drop a feather during fight or flight. Perhaps many eagles have soared above these rocks and found refuge there. The mountain lion, likewise, even in the wild, takes time to enjoy his freedom, to play and to wonder. “Paws and Reflect” celebrates that freedom.
