Familiars of Fortune - Lucky Snow Leopard

Contact us at info@louisemcnaught.com for purchase details Oil, acrylic and gold leaf on cradled wooden birch panel, 20x30x3cm. Fluorescent paint detailing that shows by backlight can be seen in additions photos.. Comes with omamori (お守り) — a Japanese protective amulet that around the leopards neck, and palette used to create her. 
A guardian of rare beauty and quiet power, the Lucky Snow Leopard brings the ancient symbolism of the Maneki-neko into the wild. Its raised paw beckons good fortune, prosperity and opportunity, while the golden plaque bearing 福 (fuku) calls in luck, happiness and blessings.
Behind it, the golden halo elevates the snow leopard to the realm of the sacred , a protector and living talisman , edged with my signature fluorescent pink aura, representing the unseen energy that surrounds all living things. The lightning references the Japanese legend associated with the lucky cat, in which a beckoning cat drew a samurai away from the place where he had been sheltering moments before it was struck by lightning: a symbol of divine intervention, protection and the strange turns of fate that can change a life.
The cherry blossom carries another distinctly Japanese meaning: the fleeting, precious nature of existence and the beauty of embracing change. Against the approaching storm, its delicate petals become a reminder that beauty and possibility can exist even in uncertain moments.
The snow leopard itself embodies resilience, intuition, independence and the ability to navigate difficult terrain with grace. Elusive and rarely seen, it also represents the mysterious and unattainable, making this Familiar a talisman for quiet strength, protection, good fortune and trusting the path that reveals itself before you.