Selected work

Adorable Hyena in oils

Subject: Wildlife
Medium: Oil paint
Dimensions: Dimensions - 16 x 20 in
Created: 2020

“Adorable Hyena” is a close-up black-and-white portrait of a young spotted hyena resting with one paw extended toward the viewer. Painted in oil on paper using the dry brush technique, the work focuses on the animal’s gentle expression, rounded ears, reflective eyes, and powerful paw.

The commission story

I chose an intimate, close composition that brings the viewer face-to-face with the hyena and reveals a softer, more endearing character than this species is usually associated with. Fine layers of oil paint allowed me to capture the subtle textures of the fur, eyes, nose, and paw.

The outcome

The artwork received a Talent Prize Award in TERAVARNA’s 13th Animal International Juried Art Competition in 2026, selected from a field of 710 artists from 45 countries. It received a Bronze Medal in the Animal category at the 2021 International Art Professionals Awards by Mondial Art Academia, France, and a Silver Award in Camelback Gallery’s Into the Wild 2021 Visual Arts Exhibition. It was also named Noteworthy in the Colors of Humanity Art Gallery’s Animals 2022 exhibition.

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