Artist's Statement

“Look into my eyes, the windows to my world”


These drawings, “Eyes of the Warrior” and “Chronicles of the Young Wilderness Warrior” depicting Puma concolor, more commonly known as cougar, puma, panther, or mountain lion, are from a series of twenty drawings of mountain lions. The whole sequence includes cougars in captivity, in the wild, in the pet trade, and those that are hunted. It also explores the devastating effects of habitat loss. (At this time sport or trophy hunting of mountain lions is illegal in California.)

I do not know what drew me to the cougar as my subject, but I began drawing mountain lions using pictures from magazines and calendars. Soon it became evident that my images would have to come from my own photographs. I will never forget the moment I eagerly reached into the first packet of pictures I had taken at the zoo, only to be disheartened by the profound sadness I saw in them. I was struck so deeply by the photos that I put them away for a year and drew other wildlife. Throughout that time, an inner voice kept urging me to go back to Puma concolor. Once again, I returned to my zoo photographs and selected the image of a cougar that conveyed the least despair. As I began drawing in earnest, it became clear that while cougars in this zoo were well cared for, their life force was depleted. This loss of resolve is what I have tried to communicate in the zoo series.

In contrast, those pumas represented in the series “In the Wild,” including “Eyes of the Warrior” and “The Chronicles of the Young Wilderness Warrior” are shown as commanding felids, with robust musculature, eyes glowing with undiluted intensity, and brimming with vigor. To capture the titanic spirit of these felines required a great deal of research, including tracking them in the wilderness for two Montana winters.

I hope to educate and thus inspire people to recognize the incredible gift that is the cougar, and the enormous impact we have upon them through hunting and infringement into their habitat. It is vital that we understand the devastating effects that captivity has upon these creatures. Cougars must survive in the wild in order to play their integral role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.

Graphite is my chosen medium because there are no distractions for the viewer. There are no colors to judge, to feel drawn toward or be repelled by, or to manipulate the emotions. Graphite is pure and direct. Eyes too, are the vessels of truth. Take time to gaze into them – to conceive the subtleties of expression that exist within them – whether they are the eyes of your friend, your lover, or the eyes of these majestic felines.

Please feel free to contact me
Michelle Friend
ghostcat@friendsf.com