"What do you buy a man who has everything?" his wife pondered as their 5th wedding anniversary was approaching. That's when I received the telephone call from her requesting a commissioned oil painting of a leopard.
I become friends with Dennis when I lived in Tokyo from 1982 to 1986. We both worked for the same multinational engineering/construction corporation, and as he passed through Tokyo from his executive post in Saudi Arabia he would visit. After my four years in Tokyo were complete and I moved back to the corporation's main headquarters in New Jersey, Dennis and I lived only a few towns from each other. That closeness brought him, his wife and I into a special friendship that lasted over 20 years.
So, when their 5th anniversary approached, Judy thought commissioning me to paint a leopard that would remind Dennis of his sugar plantation in Rhodesia and our friendship; a perfect gift for him. It would always remind Dennis of his land in the Hippo Valley that he obtained years prior by a grant of virgin territory to clear, and build a farm to grow high quality sugar cane that became operational by 1960. Dennis' numerous stories included listening to leopards and lions roar in the evenings and he found it melodic; albeit a constant threat by them as well as hippos and poisonous snakes. He was South African, and a true internationalist speaking fluent Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa, along with English, Spanish and Italian. He named his plantation "Kwa Ingwe" which translates "To the Leopard" in Zulu.
The leopard painting was complete after one month, another month for the oil paint to thoroughly dry, and shipped to their estate on Amelia Island; where the painting hung in the master bedroom, over their bed. Dennis would quip that "Ingwe continually watches over me" and Judy would reply "yes, she's growling." Dennis' rebuttal remained steady, "No my dear, she's purring."
The Smith's were very dear to me and as life progresses, I received numerous invitations and visits to their homes. Sadly, Dennis has passed.
As for the "Leopard" painting, she has a new home with his son, Richard in Ireland. A place of pride once again, hanging in the master bedroom over the bed. Ingwe, watching over him as once over his father.
