Fearful Symmetry

Hoff, "Burning Bright," digital painting

The days are lengthening, more light and more warmth are coming and despite the cold we can feel the turn of the seasons edging forward. And the calendar shifts once more. It is the time of New Year for refocusing and reassessing, for squaring shoulders and redoubled determination. "Onward," in other words.

For me, this year will mean more painting in the real world while continuing to learn and make more digital works. The first digital work of this infant new year is this painting of an Amur tiger, the world's largest cat (males average more than 400 lb.). Formerly called the Siberian tiger, these animals are nearing extinction, sadly, with only a few hundred remaining individuals. These are utterly awesome creatures, beautiful and deadly.
One of my goals for this year is to do a series of digital paintings highlighting the beauty and tragedy of the dwindling animal world.