Subject: fieldnotes
| Posted By: drysdale
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| Posted On: 11/15/2004 3:06 AM
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1 Reply
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another (sad) story which prompted me to my "First Rays" painting - please do not see this as my way to promote it - just information for artists who are interested in wildlife:
"On one of our many Tanzanian self-drive safaris, we found ourselves in the Serengeti driving around the Gol Kopjes. This large area with interesting boulder and rock formations is, in relative terms, in close proximity to Naabi Hill where we had set up camp.
We had heard from a group of wildlife rangers that somewhere in the Gol’s there were two young male cheetahs. We were told that they were about one year old and had most probably been deserted by their mother. Early next morning we drove out in search of the two young animals. Even at that time of the day, the heat was intense as unhindered and uninterrupted sunlight cascaded over the landscape. As the warm air gently massaged long grass that covered the plains, there was a sudden unexpected movement on an elevation in the distance. Driving towards what we thought we had seen, we discovered in fact, that we had found our quarry.
This particular animal was the second one to appear. As if extracting himself from the earth, he effortlessly lifted his powerful, young and lithe body by pushing himself up from the ground, as would a gymnast from a press-up position off the floor. From this raised position in the terrain, bathed in golden-yellow sunlight and dressed in perfect camouflage, his sharp eyes systematically scanned the landscape beneath him. Simultaneously, he absorbed every scent that was available to him on the morning air and then exhaled as he brought his head to rest facing the sun.
We were happy to stay with these two cheetah for a while, or at least until they decided to move on. When they did eventually leave us, they started walking off shoulder to shoulder as if filled with a purpose in life. Something in their body language told us that they were all right together. Somehow, suddenly everything seemed to be acceptable for them. Did they realise that they would be out there now, on their own? Had something made them understand that they had to look after themselves? Did they appreciate that they would be dependent on each other for a while? Had they merely forgotten the mother who abandoned them? Who knows? Certainly, as they walked away from us they appeared confident and free of any bonds."
When I painted this, I was trying to emphasize the light but also wanted to portray the lost expression on the young cheetah. One day I will try to express the whole story in a different way, which will hopefully not need all this explanation.
Hope some of you enjoyed the "fieldnotes"
Angela
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