Griffin Warrior

As mentioned I love Greek and Egyptian mythology. So I decided I wanted to paint the epic mythical creature, the Griffin. Like many mythical creatures there is no one definitive answer on what the griffin is but I love the idea of it being a creature of protection.
I originally painted a version with bright blue daylight colours, however while I loved the Mediterranean feel I felt it lacked impact so I created a second version where I tried to give it a stronger, more dynamic pose and lighting.
Which one do you like more?