On a Journey

It is quite evident that Africa is more exotic for me than North America. This painting results straight out of fieldwork I did in Botswana, where I could follow a lion family for a full day. The pride was on their way to join another lioness, a member of the pride, that had given birth to two young cubs. Such a mother separates from the pride for a certain period until the cubs are big enough to join their cousins and older siblings, playing with them without the risk of being hurt. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is a vast wetlands area, one-third of the whole country. The lions in that area don’t mind the water, since they have no choice. We saw them crossing the lakes and meanders of the river. The cubs were not able to reach the bottom, so they had to swim. What you see in the painting is cubs not yet completely dry. I am really pleased with the result, because such fur texture is a real challenge for me. The cubs discover the world under the watchful eye of their mother. The nice relationship between mother and child is an important element in this painting.