Maasai Mara 2023

Any artist who paints wildlife is going to be excited if they find themselves in the famous Maasai Mara in Kenya. This wildlife haven is a staggering feast for the eyes and ears. I have been here before, but this time I had my best game viewing and experiences of any safari. I saw all the usual subjects, but in more exciting locations and situations, including the controlled burning of the grass lands to make way for fresh growth and to regenerate the land, enticing the animals back after a long dry spell. With the ground covered in dark ash, the sight of many zebras walking through it in afternoon sunlight was very intriguing, especially with the smoke still rising in the background.

This safari was also very special as I had my partner of 14 years with me. Margaret has never been to Africa and I wondered if she’d take to it in the way I do, but she lapped it up. She had her own camera and was snapping away quite happily, sometimes getting better shots than me! She had a birthday in the middle of our trip and I had a surprise up my sleeve, but more on that later.

We stayed at Naibor bush camp which is situated on the banks of the Talek river. I didn’t realise it to begin with but this camp is very close to where I stayed last time; I even found the same rock where I saw the resident female leopard on my previous safari. Glad to see that the leopard, Bahati, is doing well. Leopards are very hard to spot and spend a lot of their time hidden up trees or resting in thick undergrowth.

Right from day one, August 4th, we were blessed with at least one incredible sighting of something. That may be lions, buffalo, hippos, cheetahs, zebras and everything else in between. Our driver and guide, Duncan, was brilliant, getting us into the best positions for photography. We spent about two hours with two male lions on our first day close to the border with Tanzania. The photo here is one of them. They were sleeping and drinking and doing all the things I like to paint! I have some nice shots of him drinking which will make very nice paintings.

Mara river crossing - almost!

If the Maasai Mara is famous for anything, it must be the mighty wildebeest and zebra crossings during the migration. August is right in the migration season so our chances of seeing a crossing were fairly good. I’m not sure if I’d ever paint a scene like it, but just to witness this spectacle is an experience in itself. To watch hundreds of wildebeest and zebras congregating in their masses in one area, with the noise, the dust and the sense of fear and panic is incredible. Several times they would move down to the river bed, gathering right at the waters’ edge, some daring to drink, most milling around seeming to be confused as to what to do next! I saw some zebras walking into the edge of the river only to be panicked at the swish of the jaws of a crocodile. The crocs lunge forward in a sudden surprise attack. But thankfully, I didn’t witness anything worse! All the animals know the dangers. Whether the river is flowing fast or slow, it is the crocodiles that they remember and fear.

On our second day, August 5th, we came across two cheetahs, elephants, hippos, eland, giraffe, serval and many zebras. As an artist I am looking for more than just animals. I’m very fussy about sunlight, the general situation, the “look” of the animal in question. In the heat of the moment, it can all look very exciting and wonderful, but, on studying the photos later at home, they can easily be a disaster; something just doesn’t look right. I can, of course, use licence to sort things out but imagine my delight to see everything just as I like to paint it! Our first encounter with cheetahs was exciting. My favourite African cat in nice sunlight.

One of my favourite subjects to paint is the humble hippo. They are amusing to watch and the play of light on their wet skins is such fun to paint. When I paint anything, the very first thing I look for is the light, not the animal. Hippos have all sorts of textures on their skin and when wet, they reflect the light of the sky, plus all the water surrounding them lends itself to strong contrast. I didn’t see as many hippo on this trip as last time in the Mara but I still had my fair share. As we drove past a bend in the river, I yelled to Duncan to stop! A pod of hippos were squabbling below us and two of them were playing and splashing about. These will make great paintings later.

One animal easy to see is the zebra. They are everywhere. This time I was lucky in that a large area of the Mara was burning to make way for fresh grass. The sight of zebras in this strange landscape was a nice change from the usual yellow and green grasses. Yes, the light was great and Tony was excited! I took several photos of this scene and with the smoke rising into the air and even the flames still evident, it made a very interesting scene. I look forward to painting it and I hope people also enjoy seeing it as much as I have.

There probably isn’t a wildlife artist in the world who has never painted an elephant. They are the iconic image of Africa and we all know of their plight to survive. They are a fantastic subject and when painting in oils, they give me an excuse to lay the paint on really thick and textured. The tusks come out at you in 3D and they are simply divine! I will never tire of them; in fact I will never tire of wildlife or of Africa.

Sunday 6th August. Margaret’s 61st birthday

I knew this day would be a special one. I have travelled to many countries across Africa during my career. Margaret (Mags) has never been and I just hoped that she would enjoy it. She did. In fact she lapped it up, enjoying every minute of the mad adventure with me! We met roughly fourteen years ago and she has been a solid rock, by my side ever since. After I realised that she would be having her birthday in the middle of the famous Maasai Mara, it seemed a good place and time to make things a little more official. I thought I’d never get married - I’m 61 - but I knew it’s Mags or nobody. So the plot began! Six months before this safari I began to make plans. I would propose on her birthday…

We visited an area known as the Mara Triangle on our first day and I wanted to go back there on Mags’ birthday as I knew we would be having a picnic lunch. It is a long drive but luckily everything worked out. The camp staff at Naibor knew about the birthday so they made sure we had champagne on board. I had other ideas for the champagne! The day was a long one and by lunch time we were in the Triangle and came to an area full of wildebeest, zebras, elephants and heaven knows what else. It was an incredible spectacle and my luck was in as it was such a great atmosphere.

Duncan, our driver, got all the lunch stuff out, but before we started to eat, I took Mags to one side where we could be alone. I asked her if she thought I’d forgotten her birthday. I said I have something special. I went down on one knee, put a sapphire and diamond ring on her finger and asked her if she would do me the honour of being my wife. I’m no normal bloke when it comes to this kind of thing. I’ve never been married and never thought I would. But Mags and I have become so close as friends and soul mates, it just felt right. It was all a strange and emotional moment but I can’t think of a better place for this to happen. I believe she said “yes” !

The Ridge Pride

After the drama of Sunday things got back to normal. We came across three prides of lion during the week including the Ridge Pride which has featured on TV.

It can be confusing trying to remember which lion belongs to which pride! Suffice to say that our lion sightings were excellent, tracking and observing them sometimes for over an hour. Our first encounter with the Ridge Pride saw them out in the open, stalking a herd of buffalo. We waited a while, with several lions creeping ever closer to the buffalo herd. Eventually, an unsuspecting zebra strolled into the scene. It walked right into the lions. They gave chase and we saw the lion chasing the zebra across the open plains. It was a spectacle and a common event in Africa that, until now, has eluded me. The hunt was unsuccessful.

Africa and my art

Africa and wildlife have been part of my life for many years, since I left college in 1982. Nearly everything I paint I insist on seeing for myself. I simply could not get excited or motivated to paint from a description or photo from anyone else. I remember being so fired up just before my first visit to Kenya when I was 29. For me, seeing the real Africa for the fist time was like a child seeing Father Christmas!

I can only get totally immersed in my art if I have witnessed what I am painting. In my early years I used to take an easel and paints with me. I was mad in those days! I still have the oil sketches I painted on the spot in the bush, mostly in Zimbabwe. But these days I use photography. My photos are merely a starting point. Sometimes I paint what I see, and sometimes I compose my own compositions from various shots I took on location. My photos don’t have to be perfect; just enough to give me the information I need. You would be surprised at how pictures I take that cannot be used for my art as they simply don’t make the grade.

The Mara River

The famous Mara River has been the subject of many of my paintings in the past. It is, of course, famous for the treacherous crossings each year made by thousands of wildebeest, all hoping to avoid being prey to the waiting crocodiles. But the Mara also has a magnificent beauty which you need to see to fully appreciate. It is vast. There are many hippos basking in the sun along its many miles and it makes a fabulous backdrop to many animal paintings. Zebras in particular are one of my favourite subjects.

Many of my paintings feature zebras drinking at the edge of the river. Birds too create a lovely sound as their calls echo across the river.About two thirds of the Mara is in Kenya, the rest is in Tanzania. The river is roughly 245 miles long, about 395 kilometres.

The Maasai Mara is a truly beautiful place. The landscape is varied and very atmospheric with dramatic skies as far as you can see. There is much to enjoy in addition to the wildlife. Sometimes I feel people are so eager to see the big five that they miss out on the simpler things. The landscape itself is very dramatic as are the skies that develop, especially in the evening. Rays of warm sunlight filter through the clouds creating such beauty. All this is so inspiring for me. I was actually worried about the cloud cover when I arrived but in the event it cleared each day, only to build up again in the late afternoon, creating some terrific skyscapes. Combine this with the controlled burning of the grasses and you have some very dramatic effects.

This safari has been a very special event in my life. Not only have I had the best sightings of any safari before it, but I have also asked my dearest Margaret to marry me. It has been a big part of my life and a safari that I know I will never forget. Thank you, Mags, for staying with me.

Talking of Mags, I am going to give her credit for some of the best photos. With no experience of photography, Mags bagged some incredible shots that I missed, including a brilliant lion hiding in thick bushes and some fabulous shots of the zebras and wildebeest at the crossing. I gave up as the light was too dim, but Mags kept snapping away! What a waste of memory card, I thought. What do I know? Her shots, once cropped and edited to increase light, are stunning.

The two images above were shot by Mags after I gave up as I thought the light was too bad. We were at a crossing point, but the zebras and wildebeest kept going back up on our side, then back down again. I have no idea if they eventually crossed as we had to leave due to time constraints and the darkness. Thanks to Mags’ persistence, we (she) got dramatic shots like this. They are all clear and detailed at full res and will make stunning paintings if I’ve got the patience!

There is an art in taking photos fit for painting. Many of my shots will not be suitable. For a start, I like to paint sunlight. Anything with flat light has far less appeal. Luckily, most of the time it was sunny and hot. In addition to the light, many shots don’t make it to my easel for other reasons. There is something just not quite right; a strange expression, an awkward stance, just too ordinary. Whatever it is, I reckon only about 10% of my photographic work makes it to a painting.

Some of my photos however are the polar opposite to this: they instantly leap out at me screaming out to be painted. Some of my lion shots are a case in point. I had several lions sitting on a termite hill posing for me! Two stunning lionesses. A herd of buffalo from a low angle, classic cheetahs stalking through the grass and so on. I can’t show them here as they are too valuable but you will see them emerge soon in my studio.

Safaris for me carry a lot of risk. I could spend thousands of pounds and get nothing. But this time I was lucky with some of my best wildlife encounters to date. The equipment I use now is far superior to what I had 30 years ago. I will continue to travel as long as I am able - and as long as the precious wildlife is there living in peace.

Below are some of the sights we saw. There isn’t room here to show everything, but apart from the elusive leopard, I was lucky to see everything I needed to get my creative juices flowing.

The Maasai Mara is more than just animals. The landscape is also stunning with wonderful skies and light. There are open plains, forests, rivers, rocky ravines; perhaps that’s why I keep coming back. It has such variety.

Thanks to Duncan our guide and to all the staff at Naibor who looked after us. Naibor bush camp is right on the Talek river and seemed to be in the middle of all the action. Even on our last drive, we saw two cheetahs and two mating lions about half a mile from the camp!

This safari has given me many new and great reference photos. Here you are seeing a tiny taste of it. But all my creativity will soon emerge with new artwork; new paintings which I hope will inspire people and remind them how fragile and precious this world is. Thanks for reading.