In Hollywood even Mountain Lions become stars. The wild cougar dubbed P-22 by the Park Service roamed Griffith Park for 12 years. After a few scrapes with dogs and humans in December 2022, NPS biologists captured P-22 in the Los Feliz area and transported him to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a thorough health evaluation. Results showed P-22 had several severe injuries, such as significant trauma to his head, right eye, and internal organs from a suspected vehicle strike, as well as multiple chronic health illnesses, including irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, an extensive parasitic skin infection over his entire body, and localized arthritis. Due to his poor condition, CDFW made the extremely difficult decision to euthanize P-22 on the morning of Dec. 17, 2022.
My gouache and monotype on paper artwork "P-22" was inspired by numerous images of the mountain lion including Steve Winter's photos as well as the big cat paintings of Delacroix and Géricault.
My Apple algorithm keeps featuring Bob Seger's ode to L.A. - "Hollywood Nights."
I listened to the song as I painted "P-22."
As if in Seger's song and my painting, P-22 slinks across the Hollywood Hills looking down on the lights of L.A.
See this artwork and more at our upcoming evening Open Studio Art at the Airport event on May 13, 2023 from 5-9 PM.
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