Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)
I was privileged to spend time at the Cheetah Project in Oudtshoorn where I was able to touch and closely examine the cheetah. The composition I decided upon was of a lean male looking into the far distance at his next potential meal spending two weeks working on the head to obtain this fiercely concentrated expression. The amazing paddle-like tail of the cheetah enables them to maintain their balance in a high speed chase. The front foot is positioned in an “extended point” in ballet terms, which gives it a light and graceful step.