Paintings often have their own life blood.They are almost created at the moment I stand with the animal and this is one of those paintings. Sometimes it’s just that raw feeling of being in a special moment with an animal, a gift if you will given directly from them. A moment of pure connection. You know it’s happening when you have to remind yourself to breathe.

An indescribably beautiful creature, this tiger demanded to be seen and this is his showroom. And who do you partner him with? A peacock of course. A peacock flicking his tail behind not being too overwhelming allowing them both to be in the same space, quietly showing off.

The tortoise, sparrow, meerkat and mynah bird band together on top of each other in an attempt to match or at least stand united in the presence of this impressive splendour.

This painting is all about balancing those powerful natural colours. The strong greens and blues of the peacock are balanced either side by similar colours in the tortoise shell and the honeyeater to the right. The angle of this honeyeater mirrors the angle of the peacock tail creating a central triangular shape with the tower of animals on one side and the upright head of the tiger on the other.

It’s a compositional challenge set by the pose of the tiger itself. It’s a balancing act of supporting characters that need to add to his grandeur without upstaging him, allowing him to remain the central focus. A puzzle made up of separate pieces placed together to create the perfect showroom for these unlikely characters to gather together. And if by chance the tiger’s true solitary nature arises and he upends the fragile arrangement on the tabletop the film noir phone with its dial that reads “In Case of Emergency Dial 170” may come in handy.