“You can’t begin too soon to encourage an appreciation of art! And each artwork has a story.”
Today’s artwork presentation to the grandkids from “Baba’s” art collection brings back some of the happiest of memories…of time spent in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, one of East Africa’s most magnificent wildlife conservation and wilderness areas, especially known for lion, leopard, cheetah and the African elephant. The area is named in honor of the indigenous tribe there, the Maasai people. "Mara" means "spotted" in the local Maasai language, due to the many short bushy trees which dot the landscape. I have never been to a place that speaks so loudly of the majesty, mystery and wonder of Creation.
This particular painting is by the Kenyan D.E. Brown, and in its impressionistic way highlights the annual awe-inspiring Wildebeest Migration. Often called “The Great Migration,” it entails the movement of a million plus wildebeest from the Serengeti in Tanzania northwards into the Masai Mara in Kenya between July and late September each year. It is one of the world's most spectacular and thrilling displays of wildlife behavior - truly one of the Wonders of the World. Along with the wildebeest, approximately a million Zebra also migrate, as well as large numbers of others animals. Their journey is fraught with danger as they cross crocodile infested rivers along the way.
The artist D.E. Brown is both an artist and a cheesemaker, whose family business is known for their artisan cheeses (www.brownsfoodco.com). It doesn’t get better than an artist and cheesemaker all in one!
I leave you will a Maasai proverb: “Enkongu naipang’a engen” (Maasai)– "Clever is the eye that has traveled.”
Artwork:
D.E. Brown, “Wonder,”
Acrylic on canvas, 90 x 60 cm
Note: My granddaughter for some reason wasn’t as interested in this painting, hence is not in the photo.