Encounter in the Bush - African Lions

Much of lion country is composed of thick and scrubby bush. Lions hunt in open grassland, but true lion habitat is thorn bush. This is, of course, difficult country for human beings -- clothing gets torn, skin scratched and eyes endangered. Driving a vehicle through this country is all but impossible because of low branches and fallen trees. In addition to this, visibility is poor. The animals hear you long before you get in sight of them.

I enjoy this kind of habitat, partly because it is so common and yet mostly overlooked by artists, photographers and safaris, and partly because there is much more of a sense of wildness and mystery than in the wonderful, wide-open plains.

In this painting, I was particularly interested in the Jackson Pollack-like, intertwining patterns of dead branches, dried weeds and graceful grasses. If you were trekking through thick African bush, you would by most vulnerable to attack by lions. They might stay hidden, which is very easy for them to do. You could get too close for comfort, in which case you would find yourself being stared at by at least one pair of eyes. Since lions are usually found in groups or prides, it is more than likely that several other pairs of eyes would be watching you as well.