Manticore in a Zen Garden - An Oil Painting

An elegant manticore with the body of a lion, a dignified human-like face, and a curling scorpion tail stands in a tranquil Japanese-inspired zen garden. Painted in lush oil on canvas with thick impasto and soft glazing, the scene glows with warm ochre, burnt sienna, emerald greens, and pale cerulean. The garden features meticulously raked gravel forming meditative patterns around mossy rocks, a calm koi pond with lily pads, and slender bamboo beneath a hazy dawn light. A weathered stone lantern and a distant low wooden pavilion sit in the background. Light filters through the foliage, casting long, gentle shadows on fur and skin, while the creature's calm gaze and serene pose evoke contemplation. The composition blends myth with minimalist, tranquil aesthetics in a painterly, classical oil style.