{"id":20322,"date":"2025-09-16T01:52:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T01:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20322"},"modified":"2025-11-23T18:29:28","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T18:29:28","slug":"painting-backstories-about-lions-did-you-know","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20322","title":{"rendered":"Painting Backstories: about lions&#8230;. did you know?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"990\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM.png 990w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM-768x582.png 768w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM-665x504.png 665w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM-24x18.png 24w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM-36x27.png 36w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.45-PM-48x36.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 990px) 100vw, 990px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When I was still working with watercolour, I loved painting scenes with lions. First of all because my astrological sign is that of Leo, the Lion. So this is like painting family members! But there is more to it. A good friend of mine is a guide at one of Africa&#8217;s safari parks. He sometimes sends me the most beautiful photographs and often they are just begging to be painted. It is the backstory that is most interesting to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance&#8230; did you know that the colour of the coat of a lion changes depending on where they live? Which means that in the yellow grasses of the savannah, their coat is a light dun shade. Whereas when they live in more heavily forested areas, their coat is a lot darker. It is all for the benefit of camouflage. Lions in open grass fields lie dead still, whilst stalking a prey. The prey, provided the lions are downwind of them, has no idea that danger is lurking. The lions, from afar, look like clumps of grass or rocks. That is what the above watercolour painting is depicting. This young lion is simply staring at his prey until they come within reach. Which can be a mere yard from where he is and chances are that he will bring home fresh dinner!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are interested in wild life and their routines, you will probably know that it is in fact the lioness and not the man of the &#8216;house&#8217; that initiates most of the hunting. She is much better at it and often hunts in the company of other females. The male&#8217;s main task is to procreate with selected females and guard them against danger, mostly of ambitious other males that want to take over the herds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"741\" src=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-1024x741.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-1024x741.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-768x556.png 768w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-60x42.png 60w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-665x481.png 665w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-24x17.png 24w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-36x26.png 36w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM-48x35.png 48w, https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-15-at-9.49.26-PM.png 1038w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When the females are done hunting and have eaten their fill, they often move to a body of water to drink as a group. It is when quenching their thirst that these animals are most vulnerable. After all, their heads are practically in the water, and even with their ears turning in all directions, they are blind to most of what is happening behind their backs. This is why there is always ONE female feline that plays the role of the look-out. You can easily spot her in my painting, because she is the <em>only<\/em> one looking right at you&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There, now you know a little bit more about these magnificent animals!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Click in the list below to select and view more backstories of my artworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-wpb-accordion-menu-or-category-pro-wpb-wmca-shortcode-selector\">\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_category_n_menu_accordion wpb_accordion_free_version wpb_wmca_accordion_wrapper_theme_transparent wpb_wmca_keyboard_accessibility_no wpb_the_menu_accordion\" data-shortcode_id=\"20238\" data-accordion=\"true\" data-indicator_icon=\"+\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul id=\"menu-backstories\" class=\"wpb_category_n_menu_accordion_list\"><li id=\"menu-item-20495\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-home menu-item-20495\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/\">Home<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20229\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20229\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20217\">Back stories home page<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20318\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20318\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20256\">Painting Backstories: A hairy situation\u2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20332\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20332\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20322\">Painting Backstories: about lions\u2026. did you know?<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20315\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20315\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20269\">Painting Backstories: About painting landscapes<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20304\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20304\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20296\">Painting Backstories: About sketching<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20232\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20232\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20212\">Painting Backstories: Barn window number 2 \u2013 Painting title: Help!<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20311\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20311\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20279\">Painting Backstories:  City Scenes<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20316\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20316\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20267\">Painting Backstories: Fall ploughing<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20313\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20313\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20273\">Painting Backstories:  Feline frenzy!<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20310\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20310\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20284\">Painting Backstories:  Feline portrait gets the thumbs-up!<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20305\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20305\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20294\">Painting Backstories: Goldfinch with real feathers<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20303\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20303\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20298\">Painting Backstories: How the old masters approached a portrait<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20237\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20237\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20201\">Painting Backstories: Humba the Lion<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20335\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20335\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20333\">Painting Backstories: My fascination with the wild konik horse<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20306\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20306\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20292\">Painting Backstories: Nedah; ethnic portrait<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20319\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20319\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20261\">Painting Backstories: Not all portraits take long!<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20231\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20231\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20214\">Painting Backstories: Palomino<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20309\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20309\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20286\">Painting Backstories:  Say cheese! brings levity to the studio<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20312\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20312\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20275\">Painting Backstories:  Shoe Standoff<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20314\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20314\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20271\">Painting Backstories:  Sunbeam child sequel<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20484\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20484\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20482\">Painting Backstories:  The Defiant Tulip<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20235\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20235\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20205\">Painting Backstories: the barncat \u2013 the importance of the right frame for a painting<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20321\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20321\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20263\">Painting Backstories: The goslings<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20233\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20233\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20210\">Painting Backstories: The headless hunter a.k.a. The unsuccessful foxhunt<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20317\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20317\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20265\">Painting Backstories: The kissable mouth<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20230\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20230\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20227\">Painting Backstories: The leg-selfie<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20331\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20331\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20328\">Painting Backstories:  The \u2018loving\u2019 sea turtle<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20234\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20234\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20208\">Painting Backstories: The Moody Monk<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20308\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20308\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20288\">Painting Backstories: The shepherd and the unflappable sheep: evolution of a painting<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20307\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20307\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20290\">Painting Backstories: The warrior; an ethnic portrait<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-20236\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-20236\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20203\">Painting Backstories: \u2018Ustad\u2019 a.k.a. T24<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When I was still working with watercolour, I loved painting scenes with lions. First of all because my astrological sign is that of Leo, the Lion. So this is like painting family members! But there is more to it. A good friend of mine is a guide at one of Africa&#8217;s safari parks. He sometimes sends me the\u2026 <span class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?page_id=20322\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":20217,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-20322","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/?author=1","display_name":"Nicky"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 8 months ago","modified":"Updated 5 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on ","modified":"Updated on "},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on  ","modified":"Updated on  "},"featured_img_caption":"","featured_img":false,"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20322"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20452,"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20322\/revisions\/20452"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/20217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.iamnow.today\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}