Jay Leno—King of Late Night, and the Jungle
Painting for The Artist Project, I have animalkind on my mind. And, whatever is on one’s mind can pop up, by coincidence, in other places. The leapyear edition of the Tonight Show (February 29) was a wild-animal enthusiast’s delight. An avid cat-lover, Jay showed fearlessness romping and head-butting with a lion cub, massaging hyenas, and cuddling with baby leopoard-kind. After backing off from a a mongoose, he wasn’t phased to see his stage "marked" by a feline guest who was just doing what animals do. Even human guest human, Patricia Arquette, was coaxed to talk about her fondness for dickdicks—interesting to her because they mate for life and always poop in the same spot. In just moments, Dave Salmoni’s animal parade, Patricia Arquette’s explanations, and Jay Leno’s playful jests had transported me back to the African bush. I felt truly privileged to have been able to see all animal types in their natural settings—and to be painting some of them now. Jay Leno proved his versatilitiy and power yet again. No wonder the media is abuzz as to what he’s going to be doing next, and at what price. The Tonight Show (and painting into the wee hours) won’t be the same without him!
