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| Wet Wildebeest, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Photo by Nigel Nicholls |
I didn't realize how frequently I painted wildebeest until someone pointed it out to me. Its not because they are the most elegant of the antelopes. I mean, just take a look at those strange shaped heads and skinny legs. But something draws me to them (please excuse that terrible pun). I think of them walking in long wavering lines across vast landscapes. They are true nomads. They migrate huge distances. And to someone like me who grew up as an Army brat with no home town, someone who understands the desire to keep on moving, I appreciate the resilience and hardiness of the wildebeest. Any injury can mean the end of the journey - both figuratively and literally.
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| Blue Wildebeest, original watercolor, 12x16", by Alison Nicholls |
So long wavering lines of wildebeest will continue to trek in and out of my paintings. And I hope Africa will continue to provide the space they need for their nomadic wanderings.
Until next time...
Alison
Wildlife and Conservation Artist
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I'm struck right now with the herd - the instinct? the motivation? - and the support it offers every individual, who when threatened will help defend. So, I know that there are other ways of living, yet we humans are not unlike the wildebeest in this perhaps most significant aspect: the leader leads, but why? Better powers of perception? Better record of success in previous encounters? Or his followers simply content to stay out of trouble? Yet, unlike us humans, I doubt a wildebeest is tempted to stray from the herd - to start up his own small business, or to advise other herd leaders how to eliminate stragglers from their followers. Curiouser and curiouser ....
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