Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Rhinos at Kromdraai - Maree

The only way to save a rhinoceros is to save the environment in which it lives, because there's a mutual dependency between it and millions of other species of both animals and plants.
- David Attenborough

Sketch in my Moleskine A4 Folio sketch-book


When taking my grand-children to Lanseria Airport, we pass by a game farm just a couple of kilometers from where I live (Gauteng, South Africa), and these two Rhino were grazing right by the fence, so I stopped and did a quick sketch. They didn't seem bothered by me at all, I was just on the other side of a rather rickety looking game fence, which I'm sure they could demolish with a step or two, should they so wish! And I was thrilled to see that they still have their horns, so many are being removed to thwart poachers in a conservation effort of these magnificent animals.

Sometimes we're lucky enough to see the Lions close-by the fence, but I've never left my car to try and sketch them!

10 comments:

  1. It must be wonderful. You live in such a fascinating part of the world!

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  2. WOW. I would love to be able to see these guys in the wild. Thank you, Maree...

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  3. This is great...and to think I was sketching a common squirrel this morning...I think your view was more exciting!

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  4. Wonderful painting! So the moleskin doesn't buckle under the watercolor?

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  5. Thanks a lot Studio! Yes, it's wonderful to have many of our wild animals so close-by!

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  6. And maybe one day you will Kate! These days it doesn't even have to be truly in the wild, more and more of our animals are being incorporated into Game Parks and Reserves for protection.

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  7. Ha ha! Thanks Mary! And do you know I've only seen a Squirrel ONCE in my life? When I was in the UK in 1989, we don't have them here, not true squirrels, only ground- and treehogs. So count yourself equally lucky!

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  8. Thank you Sherry. No, it doesn't buckle per Se, it crinkles a bit, you can see a bit of crinkling at the top, but I'm used to that! I'm a very impatient painter and very rarely stretch any paper! lol!

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