In addition to working on canvas as most painters do, acrylic painter Debbie le Sueur paints on a wide variety of textured and colored leather—including one painting on an elephant’s ear—to create wildly rustic, unique paintings of Africa’s largest and most dangerous animals.
In African Lion, seen below, soft leather in the shape of the country itself offers another dynamic to the already stunningly painted king of the wild.
The lion’s side profile exudes regal, majestic strength, while a gorgeous light illuminates its whiskers and plush mane. The lion sits, head held high, eyes straight ahead, resolute, determined and wise—bred to be one of the finest animals on earth.
In Elephantom, irregularly shaped black leather secretively hides much of the elephant’s domineering presence, showing it only when and where it so chooses.
Deep wrinkles seen in the animal’s ancient skin disappear into folds of leather which contain similar characteristics. The sheer number of lines and crevasses highlight the frequent struggle and strife of a life spent under Africa’s hot sun, in the ever-changing landscape of the African savanna.
One huge, rough tusk, yellowed by age, jets outward from the elephant’s mass of gray skin, its large diameter and wicked curve serving as a more than an adequate reminder that an encounter with this gigantic animal could indeed be deadly.
Lastly, as quiet as the whisper of wind through the grass, the leopard in Taking a Stroll is a bundle of incredibly focused intensity. Despite its alluring coloring, the look in its amber eyes and its glinting teeth give us all the information we need regarding what is on its mind.
From this incredible vantage point, you can see each uniquely-shaped dark rosette in its fur stretching and moving over tightly-bundled muscle. This fierce animal is able to spring into action at a second’s notice, and is only waiting for the perfect moment.
Step further into Debbie’s world today by visiting her website. It’s full of Africa’s deadliest predators and landscapes, and is too incredible to miss.