"Distant Enemy"
Oil on Panel 12x16
SOLD
A solitary
male lion watches as a small safari camp is set up on the Athi
Plains near Nairobi. The safari has traveled by ox wagon from
the Norfolk Hotel, some 30 miles away. Before the first World
War, lions were plentiful on the Athi Plains, and it had become
a popular place to set up a fly camp during the early stages
of a safari.
It was in 1911, a hunter was dragged
from his horse by a lion and badly mauled on the plains. His
companion shot and killed the lion and took his friend back to
camp. He then rode back to Nairobi to get medical help. By the
time he got back the following night with medical supplies, his
colleague was near death and by daybreak had passed away. A stark
reminder that in the wild, the hunted often prevail.
In my painting I wanted to show
something of the anticipated tension between the opponents by
introducing a dramatic sky into the scene.
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