African Tapestry 1- Lion Cubs
The original painting measured 82 x 52 cm. and was painted in Mixed media
These cubs were part of a group we encountered early one morning on the Masai Mara in Kenya. The group consisted of 2 lionesses with 5 cubs and the lionesses were heading off at a spanking pace across the veldt trying to make cover before full daylight. They had been in some bushes on the plain during the night and were seeking higher cover for the day where the lionesses could keep an watch over the surrounding area. One lioness was in the front with the other bringing up the rear to urge on any slow cubs.
Being at the top of the food chain is no guarantee of survival, and it was easy to sense the vulnerability of the cubs and the protectiveness of the lionesses. So critical are lions to the ‘essential weave’ of Africa that you cannot imagine that continent without them.
Basket weaving is also very important in Africa and there are many examples of basket ware that are both utilitarian and decorative. This is also an art that is now under threat from plastic bags and containers. Thus I have placed these two essential and endangered elements together to form an ‘African Tapestry’ and tableaux.
Using a mat board I drew in my lions and then preserve the drawing with frisket film then I used a roller to apply some dark brown paint to which I added texture paste. Lightly applied, this allowed the color of the board to come through. Then I glued Hessian to the board at the top and bottom to which I added a strip of braid. This was then painted in Acrylic to have the appearance of basket ware. Lastly I painted the lions in acrylic.
