As sculptural studies based on live models, the Cheetah Studies provide ideal examples of MacDonald’s approach to art in which he begins with observation of life. Created in preparation for the sculpture of Diana and the Coursing Cheetahs, the studies reflect the result of one very hot afternoon’s creative endeavors in Richard MacDonald’s studio, as Samburu – the live Namibian cheetah model – paced discontentedly back and forth in the 105-degree heat.

Continually shifting from one stance to another, the independently minded cat proved impossible to capture in artistic form, unless the artist could improvise a working method that would mirror the animal’s impulsive behavior. MacDonald found a way. Working on seven sculptures simultaneously – each representing a different stance in the cat’s own repertoire – the artist moved quickly and in perfect unison with the strong-willed Samburu. The result is seen in a series of very distinctive, yet complementary, works that reveal the subtle nuances of the big cat’s mood, and underscore the extraordinary physical drama intrinsic to the movement of an animal of such profound strength and beauty.