SOLD - The Guardian Sow I - Original Oil painting.

The Guardian Sow
Oil on canvas

70(h)x140(w)

In The Guardian, Sow, Leone Tonkinson captures the profound tenderness of wildness. Resting in the dappled light of the forest floor, a mother boar anchors the scene with her massive, grounded presence, while her striped piglets clamber over her body and nestle into the warmth of her protection. Their playful curiosity contrasts with her quiet watchfulness, embodying the balance between innocence and vigilance that sustains life in the wild.

Part of the Sacred Wild series, this work reveals the intimate bonds usually hidden from human sight. Here, the boar—so often misrepresented as fierce or destructive—emerges instead as a symbol of guardianship, endurance, and quiet devotion. The earthy palette, softened by the mist of a forest morning, enfolds the viewer in a sense of safety and belonging.

Through her attentive brushwork, Tonkinson not only documents the animal world but also mirrors the archetypal role of the guardian—present in nature, myth, and within ourselves. The Guardian Sow reminds us that strength is not only measured in power, but in the silent, unwavering act of care.