'Tigers really are beautiful and seeing one in the wild is an experience that no one forgets. However tiger watching is not the same as cat encounters in Africa. Indian reserves are vastly smaller than their African equivalents. I do not say that in a triumphalism way. Because what I have seen happening to the natural world over the last fifty years, especially in my own area of experience, Africa, is depressing. There is an insidious process taking place where habitat is gradually lost to land invasions and human occupation. I do not condemn anyone for these acts as when you are poor and disenfranchised you do what you have to in order to survive. National parks and game reserves up and down Africa are slowly evaporating. Fifty years from now protected areas in Africa will be the same sizes as India's are now. I paint wilderness scenes like this oil sketch of a tiger at Bandhavgarh because I want to be where the tiger is - in some mythical garden of Eden that I hope still exists somewhere.'

.

This is one painting of 200+ African, wildlife, Swahili Coast, bird and African, Indian landscape works featured in the archive section of this website. Some of these pages have no painting story comments but they will all eventually be updated to include those as time allows.