'Why did I title this work Tinnitus Pan? Because this part of Botswana, the Makgadikgadi Pans, is a vast flat region without trees and during most of the year no grass either. It is so silent out on these plains that the slight hiss in one's ears (tinnitus) which we tune out in noisier circumstances suddenly becomes very audible! It's so quiet out on these plains you sometimes hear your heart beating. Very unnerving. One other aspect about plains that intrigues me is that if I am on a track crossing one of these absolutely flat areas - I always feel as though the track is climbing up a very subtle hill! It's an odd illusion combining perspective and perception. So this painting might also have been called The Endless Climb.'

.

.