'In World War II a Ventura bomber crashed on a Skeleton Coast beach in Namibia while trying to rescue shipwrecked sailors who had been camped here for months. The Namib Desert is a very hostile region with sand dunes right down to the beach but this region has a surprising amount of wildlife. Hyena, elephant, gemsbok, cheetah and of course lions which are found here in small numbers. I have always been intrigued by the hardy lions that scavenge along the Indian and Atlantic coastlines. Even as a schoolboy living in Mombasa I was aware that the Swahili Coast North of Lamu all the way into Somalia was frequented by lions. But it was a surprise to me that Namibia had coastal lions as well. These lions are rarely seen but I did come across the tracks of lions on the beach on several occasions including one set near the Ventura Bomber wreck north of Mowe Bay which is the location of this painting. The wreck itself is very interesting but it is periodically is covered over completely with sand. One wing and a rotary engine appear and disappear according to how the sand above the high tide mark is moved about by waves and wind.'

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