More than a moment: Introducing my new work 'Thunder and Dust'

The African wilderness has a way of leaving its mark on you. It is a place of breath taking beauty, stillness, and sudden unpredictability, where everything can change in an instant. Some moments pass quickly and fade with time, but others stay with you forever. The inspiration behind my new work, Thunder and Dust, comes from one of those unforgettable moments.

As we sat in the jeep, surrounded by the deep silence of the bush, everything felt still. Then, out of nowhere, the thundering crash of breaking branches shattered the calm. The thicket beside us parted violently, and through it emerged a huge bull elephant, his tusks just inches from our faces.

We froze instantly, pinned back into our seats in awe. I remember holding my breath, my heart pounding so hard. His giant head swayed from side to side, his ears flapped heavily, and then came the deafening blast of his trumpet, filling the air with raw power.

It was not just the sight of him that was overwhelming, but his presence. The sheer force of his energy was impossible to ignore. In that moment, we were no longer simply observers passing through the wilderness. We were completely immersed in it, face to face with its strength and unpredictability.

Then he stepped back slightly, moving through the thick bush as though it were barely there. Our driver started the engine and pulled away in haste. As we drove off, I looked back and saw him following us at pace, bellowing his displeasure and kicking up golden clouds of dust that framed his immense silhouette against the fading light.

That moment was raw, untamed, and unforgettable.

Experiences like this are what make the African wilderness so powerful. It demands respect. It reminds us that wildlife is not there for our entertainment, but it exists on its own terms, governed by instincts and rhythms far older than our own. Encounters like this leave more than memories; they create a deeper connection to the natural world and remind us why protecting these wild spaces matters so much.

This is why Thunder and Dust is more than just another piece of artwork. It is my attempt to hold onto a fragment of that moment .. the tension, the awe, the beauty, and the energy of that encounter. Through drawing it, I wanted to preserve something deeper than the image itself. I wanted to capture the feeling of being there, of hearing that trumpet ring through the air and feeling the power of that bull elephant as he moved through the dust.

Art has a way of preserving experiences that words and photographs often cannot fully hold. It allows us to revisit the emotions of a moment and keep them alive long after they have passed.

For me, Thunder and Dust is exactly that. It is a reminder of the African wilderness in all its beauty and unpredictability, and of a moment that was far more than just a sighting, it was an encounter with something truly wild.

Thunder and Dust

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As with all my work 10% of the proceeds will go to conservation efforts. The charity I have chosen for this one is the Born Free Foundation