Behind the Mask

This painting was inspired when I was working with Indian ink, giving a 3D feel to it.  I have always loved peacocks and their colours.  I could hear their “johaan” call as I progressed with this painting and remembered when going with my son when he was 3 years old, to the MacDonald Farm, chatting to the male peacock there.  All the kids just loved it when I shouted “johaan” and he proceeded to answer me back and fanning his tail feathers to its fullest bloom.  Perhaps “Proud as a Peacock” should have been the name of this painting, but I could not make the girl look “proud”. I started experiment with putting masks on cats and so enjoyed how black ink kind of gives it that 3d look, well I hope it does!