I love this painting. I think of the lion in this painting as the "beautiful and terrible partner known as truth that lies in wait" It's a reminder of everything we were before preoccupation with work, relationships and washing the dishes. To me it's the savage beast that lurks in the background of our being and hearts, lingering within the realms of our subconscious, waiting for someone to wake up already. The lion is nature and truth, it's the part of the heart that longs to roam free and pure, released at last from material preoccupation, and overall cultural totalitarianism. Like the lion, truth is scary, savage and seemingly unattainable, but I always feel hopeful when I look at the picture. It reminds me that no matter how preoccupied, unobservant or asleep I am, the beast still lingers somewhere in the background, under the evanescent glow of the full moon and fleeting moments of lucidity. And like the lion, truth waits patiently in the night for the moment when gypsy wakes up, energized and lucid, and equipped fianlly with the courage, insight and willingness to embrace it's lessons. Astra Gordon
