I write this, as we fly back to Kilimanjaro leaving the Serengeti behind us. From above, it is starkly clear how many of us are encroaching on these last few wildernesses. My next thought is of the month-old leopard cub honing its skills as it ‘hunted’ its mother’s swishing tail. The cub dropped its stick, and I could almost hear its thoughts as it weighed up whether to collect it or not. Was it safe? The next moment, it was frozen mid-climb in a bush, nearly invisible. It had also heard the hyenas. The night before, it had also had a sibling …
As an artist I feel privileged to have visited these wild, untouched places which through the efforts of conservation must be protected for future generations. It is rightly forbidden to collect anything. We leave only footprints, carrying home only the memories.
The UK is a busy place of constant motion, with very few undeveloped areas. Wherever we go we are always connected through technology, it’s like a super-advanced termite mound, we are always busy and not necessarily in the right way.
While emotionally overwhelmed by the beauty of what’s below, as I fly back over the Ngorongoro Crater, I think to myself how lucky I have been to visit theses truly wild places to which I feel a strong internal attachment. It is, after all, where we all came from. The word Nomad means “wandering shepherd”. As artists, I hope our wandering serves conservation by spreading awareness, if nothing else.
I’m super excited about the memories in my head. My Nikon z8 will help hone the details. I look forward to getting back into my studio and get sculpting. Some people write, I hope to sculpt some of what inspired me in Tanzania’s untouched wilderness.