Africa Geographic Magazine Art Safari - with Wildlife Sketch Artist Alison Nicholls

Africa Geographic Art Safari, South Africa, July 2011

In late July 2011, I lead an Art Safari for Africa Geographic magazine in South Africa. We stayed at The Bush House in Madikwe Game Reserve and 7 guests joined me from 4 different countries, all with differing levels of art and African safari experience.

Although it was winter (normally a beautiful time of year in the southern African bush) we did have unusually cold windy weather, but despite that we managed to sketch both landscapes and wildlife, thanks to the wonderful waterhole at the lodge. Elephants and buck, a large herd of buffalo and even lionesses with cubs, drank there during our 4 night stay. The Bush House is a small lodge which meant that we had the entire place to ourselves and were able to arrange the day's schedule around our sketching activities. We sketched wildlife on game drives and from the waterhole, often using the mid-morning for a landscape demonstration. Our guide, Debbie, was also an artist, which meant she was very aware of our sketching needs.

The Bush House, Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa

Here is a testimonial from one of the Art Safari guests:

What I loved about this art safari is that you don't have to be an artist to fully enjoy yourself. Art and science depend on "intense seeing" and if you want to sit quietly and watch animals move and interact with their environment and each other, an art safari provides the opportunity to fully explore and understand what you are seeing without the rushing about that so often prevails on traditional game viewing safaris. For the artist, the experience is unparalleled and heightened on every level. Alison Nicholls is a generous and knowledgeable leader/teacher, helping you understand how animals are built, how they move and why they behave as they do. What better way to understand an animal than to draw or paint it? Alison is also a lovely and amusing traveling companion. I've been on over eighteen safaris and have never so thoroughly enjoyed my animal watching experiences. In fact, I cannot imagine going on future safaris without a sketchbook and pencil in my backpack and taking the time to sit, watch, listen, and to really "see" and record the marvels unfolding before me. 

Penelope, Art Safari guest 2011.

If you are interested in joining me on future safaris, please contact Africa Geographic magazine, or visit the Art Safaris page of my website where new Art Safari information will be shown as it becomes available.

Look out for my next post on Tuesday when I'll have a short Video about the Art Safari.
Until next time...
Alison

Wildlife and Conservation Artist
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Nicholls Wildlife Art