'This painting is of sand grouse on Kalahari sand in the Chobe National Park in Botswana right next to where I was camping at Serondella. Because I was living quite rough at the time my camp and equipment was minimal and I slept on the ground. I never bought into the adage 'any fool can be uncomfortable in the bush'. I have always had uncomfortable camps because I had other priorities. I was in the bush and that was all that mattered to me at the time. I went to bed at sunset and got up before dawn. Over time I became very aware of what was happening around me. Which brings me to these sand-grouse. In the early mornings at dawn I would often walk across the small grassy clearing behind my small tent towards the Ngoma main track to see if any lions had passed by that way in the preceding night. I can't imagine why I thought that to be so important at the time but it was a ritual that I had! Every time I crossed that clearing unseen sand-grouse would suddenly explode like small bombs underfoot! My immediate thoughts were of of snakes and I would hop out of the way. Eventually I became quite good at locating and observing these sand-grouse without disturbing them. This painting is a consequence of that skill.'

.