This painting has been modeled on three trees, somewhere deep in The Zambezi valley, hidden away in the jesse, they have been a meeting place for the great grey Giants for centuries. Set in the hazy afternoon sun, elephant dung scattered around the trees creating an atmosphere of its own.

As the evening colours cast their shadows, this female Rhino and her calf move off from their vulnerable position by the water.

This piece was done for a great friend and brother of mine, centered around a great tree that exists in the Chewore river, where the  memories of a lost friend and brother call to us. The reason for this name is clear as the picture is centered on the Baobab, as seen  from the East, directly opposite over the river on the Chewore north side. The tree is our meeting place, where we meet with “our  brother”. The meeting is not a noisy affair, it is quiet and respectful. Where we remember, and as we watch the movie that is our minds,  we see life for what it is, beautiful and unpredictable.

We live so much of our lives out of the present – in a place we can never be. There is nothing quite like the power of an African sunset to bring us back to the now. The incredible colors and aura last for just a few minutes, focusing us on the present, watching as time passes us by. 

This is a group of Bachelors, the young and the eager out front – often known as “Askari” or Policemen, they are often out ahead and accompany the older Bull. Learning from them and respecting them – like the youngest in the family, cajoled, reprimanded and taught by his brothers.

An Acacia Erioloba in Hwange National Park, not far from Ngweshla. These trees are magnificent – bending to the most unique natural shapes. This particular one is joined at the base, but looks like two separate trees of similar shapes, like brothers perhaps – joined at the hip.

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Those of us who have had the privilege of frequenting the Zambezi Valley will have seen scenes like this. This is in fact a small pan near Mucheni, Mana Pools – probably one of the most beautiful parts of the Valley.

I sat quietly watching as the October sun lowered in the sky. As always, the colours started to change as the light penetrated the dust,  promising yet another beautiful and timeless African evening. Standing here like some Guardian, this great Leadwood has probably  been here for centuries as a witness to the scene that plays out daily on “the Road to Ngweshla“.

It’s early, and the sun is rising, her light falling across the trees and the river bank, the month of September is hot down here and the wildlife moves early morning and late afternoon to avoid the mid-day heat.
The orchestra of birds is almost deafening in a somewhat peaceful way and today is just another beautiful day out here, there is no expectation, just life! 

This oil painting is of one year in the Zambezi Valley at a place known as Mana Mouth on the mighty Zambezi River, looking across  toward Nkupe. If you have been here you will know the great contrasts of the colours as the rains come in on this rich flood plain area.  The scene is epic, its Africa. All the moments in life come together as one in a place and time like this. There is an ambiance to all of  this that is difficult to put into words, but it’s why we come to this place. Away from the crowd, drawn by the simplicity and reality of life  out here. 

This Pan, like so many others in The Great Zambezi valley, has become the meeting place for many. The edges scattered with elephant dung and great footprints in the mud that sometimes last for years after they have dried – like signatures on a board –  the signs of those who have been before.

I did this sketch on canvas for a Zambezi Elephant Fund fundraiser I held in May of 2023. Read more about this event here. It depicts a common scene in the valley, a hive of activity around the pan, as animals flock to the water. Essential to life, particulalry in the dry seasons, where it is used for drinking and cooling down in the heat. 

Here, these old elephant bulls are drinking out of the timeless springs that flow down the Chitake river, they have been frequenting this area all their lives as have their ancestors, walking the amazingly wide paths that meander from water to water and shade to  shade. The concentration of baobabs in this area is far greater than I have seen elsewhere in the Valley, it seems the area is spiritual  with these great giants silhouetted against the early morning sky. 

I have called this piece “Mhondoro”, as these trees symbolize strength and solidity. The term is one used by the Shona people who  have a spirit called a “Mhondoro”, meaning both lion and Guardian spirit of a tribe. They are generally referred to as “Lion Spirits”  and are associated with the strength and fearlessness of a lion.

– Zulu for young warrior, young man!

This young bull was on an island in the Zambezi river, his reaction to our proximity was typical, disdainfully turning his back  on us, head up. As he walked off he effortlessly plucked a small tree from the ground as if to prove a point!

As the early morning sun reflects on the palms, sultry pinks spray across the sky from the light shining through the haze of the valley.  Already the heat of this September day is apparent, creating its own atmosphere in the jesse bush that surrounds this small waterhole  in the Sapi Safari area. Out here there is always the feeling that something is about to happen, it is harsh and almost violent in many  ways and yet so peaceful in others.

Pastel on paper study 

Pastels, ink and pencil are great ways to quickly put together basic studies of animals, perfecting form and technique. I find working with these mediums a quick and easy way of understanding movement and body position. A great sketch book is a full one, I have many sketch books in various places that I pick up and work in, maybe 4 or 5 at a time.

A painting inspired by years of being in the presence of the Wild. The awesome, almost spiritual presence of Baobabs, some thousands of years old. The sight of old “Dagga boys” under the palm trees, and the incredibly humble feeling that we feel in the presence of an angry Bull elephant.

As the last light of day enhanced the clouds, there was a quiet expectancy as I watched these two elephants at a spring deep in  the jesse of the Zambezi Valley. The ambiance of Africa, a sensation unchanged for centuries fitted comfortably as I watched these  majestic animals, absorbing the obvious energy, quietly listening and understanding, caressing each other with their trunks, displaying  trust and integrity with one another and with a higher purpose, life!

The Crossing, the name often used in reference to movement of the soul from life as we know it to the spiritual world. Elephants start their trek across the Zambezi river, maybe to the far off Zambian escarpment or just to the greener feeding areas on the islands that jut into the river.

I caught this guy early one morning trying to catch the rays of the early morning sunlight, right on the far tip of this leadwood. I chuckled at the similarity between us all – once we take away the facade of being a human – we are all just animals!

I sketched most of this picture on location, the ever present groups of elephant cows and calves moving to and from the great Zambezi River to water. In the drier months, far away from the river ,long journeys are made to small resilient pans. The sight of these great mothers and their over eager calves rushing with great expectancy into the pans is spell binding.

Dusk demands to be acknowledged, as the final moments of the day retreat with the light a spectacular display of pinks and purples spray across the vast African sky, focusing one’s mind instantly on the moment. It is a captivating sight, watching the dagga boys make their way to the water, navigating this harsh landscape, the dead trees remind us of our mortality while the resilience and strength of the buffalo assure us that it is not time yet. 

I have had the privilege of sitting for many hours with these enchanting animals, their aesthetic alone is enough to entrance  the eye of any artist. It is fitting that they are sometimes called the African painted dog as it is impossible to resist trying  to capture them through art. Patience and respect may be rewarded as the group eventually begins to accept your presence, and you find yourself an honorary, albeit temporary, member of their pack. 

This scene has left people in awe for many years, it’s where the epic Runde River journeys on its way to join the great Save River. These  waters continue flowing through Mozambique and then into the Indian ocean.  

To be here and quietly take in the incredible scene with the continuous movement of the animals is hard to describe, suffice to say the  enormity of it all, and in fact the reminder of our own mortality amongst it becomes very evident. This area is full of legend and myth,  battles were fought just to the eastern end of these cliffs and there are other places of great reverence here. The evening light on the cliffs  is like some beautiful cathedral lit up for an evening service!  

This is the ‘Gonarezhou’, Place of the elephants.

A painting I have always wanted to do in large scale. The magnificent Mana flood plain overlooking the great Zambezi River, onto the  Zambian escarpment. The painting tells the story of how wild this area is, and the variety of wild life that exist here, free in their natural  surroundings. It is truly an Epic scene. 

I have always been interested in black and white photography, it has a way of capturing light beautifully and yet simply. This oil painting  depicts the battle that is going on in many of the wild places in Africa. The elephants move at pace toward the sanctuary on the oncoming  storm, perhaps symbolically to new life and away from the dry harsh landscape that depicts the bad lands, where they are under siege  from ivory poaching and man in general.

Lion males often join up into small groups, to ensure their ability to manage an area and the females in it. I have seen up  to four male lions in a group, a formidable “army” as it were to make intruders think twice about trying to take over a pride.

Somewhere out in the magnificent wilderness of the Zambezi valley, this old tusker and his companion move silently  along tracks that have been used for centuries. These old paths or “gwashas” are timeless. It’s evening time and the sun  is setting on another day. The egrets are flying to the trees they will rest in tonight and the beautiful carmines flit and flutter  around the small pan, drinking and catching insects. 

Some of the Elephants in the great Mana Pools National Park are known for their ability to stand on their back legs and grab tasty Albida branches full of pods. I have seen them using props like anthills and dead branches to get up and reach these branches, and yet some of them, including iconic "Boswell" stand in one fluid movement, it's an incredible sight!

These watering points are the source of life for many many species, as they go about their day to day lives they have to be aware  of where the water is, and these places have been their gathering points for many years.

Based on an area in the great ‘Chewore’ River in the Zambezi Valley, this scene is not far from ‘Mariatsoro’ spring, a spring that flows  through a gorge there. There is a feeling of being alone out here as it is evident by its remoteness that very few people have been here. 

The river bed is a carpet of elephant dung and spoor from countless lion and buffalo. The place is truly spiritual.

“No one will protect what they don’t care about. And no one  

will care about what they haven’t experienced.” 

- David Attenborough

A painting based on a sighting I had in Hwange, an elephant herd moving off in the evening time as the pinks splash across the sky, holding us in that special moment.