When an elephant is alarmed it will often ‘stand tall.’ Lifting its head high it will throw out its ears to appear as intimidating as possible while it determines the level of threat it faces. I took the photograph that provided the reference for this painting along the Shingwedzi River in the northern part of the Kruger National Park. The riverine vegetation here is thick and during the late dry season the pools of water remaining in the riverbed draw in large herds of elephants. There is a constant coming and going and the Shingwedzi River drive is not for the faint-hearted – certainly not if you are nervous around elephants! The bull in this painting stepped out of the undergrowth and on to the road directly in front of me; I had already had two close encounters and my nerves were definitely on edge. He seemed to tower over me and for a moment the world stood still, I held my breath, eyes wide and heart thumping in my chest. He stared down his trunk at me for what seemed like a long time, shook his head dramatically, trumpeted once and then disappeared into the bush. I don’t even remember taking the photograph. I drove on for a few minutes, found a spot where I could turn the vehicle around and made my way back to the camp. That was more than enough elephant for one afternoon.

This signed, limited edition Fine Art Print from an original oils on canvas painting is printed on 425 GSM Fine Art Archival Canvas and delivered rolled in a tube, ready for stretching or framing. Free worldwide courier delivery.

Limited Edition of 50 Fine Art Prints.