Walking Tiger Painting

"Walking Tiger" Princeton, NJ is the home of the Princeton University and the Princeton.Tigers. Now a resident of New Jersey, I am aware of the need for walking tigers to cross that great campus. However, this tiger was created to serve a different purpose in the state of New Jersey. The painting was created to help promote the theme of "Speakeasy" for the annual fundraiser at the Visual Arts Center in Summit, NJ. VACNJ. The staff there had already begun plans with a set director from NYC to erect a wall and a secret door entrance to the proposed speakeasy that would ultimately serve legal gin, great food and plenty of good Jazz for the night. It also happened that the door being constructed was between two walls that concurrently displayed several paintings from my first solo exposition called, "A Journey in Watercolor" so I was invited to paint the artwork for the Speakeasy's "Secret Door". In order to be authentic, I checked Wikipedia for relevant information about speakeasies and secret doors. I learned that speakeasies were places of ill-repute that served illegal gin during the 1920-30s during prohibition. Since their locations were kept secret, they were often referred to as a Blind Tigers by those who frequented their inner walls and so my painting of a walking Tiger became an "Item of Interest" for the event. Eventually OK'd by the committee, the painting was framed and preserved for auction. As for the secret door, the painting was replicated, framed, and mounted with his eyes cut out. That night they glowed red until a small door behind them opened, a patron announced the secret code and was welcomed into the club. The event was a wonderful success. Proceeds from the auction of the painting were donated to the VACNJ. Prints of the Tiger are now available on this website.