Spirits of The Valley

Spirits of The Valley

Perhaps it is the prospect of life that means the most ,the possibility that we have  the next twenty four hours ? Sooner or later we learn there are no guaranties of life in this form however such is our obsession with the future that we are seldom living in the  present living our lives in an imagery of a better place , a better life style –

Is it that prospect that is actually the thrill to life ? They say it’s the hunt that is the thrill – not the actual killing ! or perhaps we just subconsciously work on the fact that we are in fact timeless ?

Life however is something we build each day at a time , like a painting , each brushstroke is an experience we live with  , these brush strokes are the wisdom we grow in !

Time is nothing but a measurement that we use  as a way of shortening our lives and putting limits to it – yes that’s time we live by it – we plan by it – and we box everything up in to it – and yet in the face of Nature and its immeasurable majesty , we are humbled

As the sun slips toward the horizon these old trees Like sentry’s , watch and monitor all life around them – quietly living each moment as it is .Their trunks anointed with markings and messages from generations of elephants , they are the notice boards in the thick Zambezi Valley Jesse .

There is an aura that exists even to us insensitive humans when in the shade of these great trees  – it has a healing ability to the mind – slowing the pace we exist at and above all giving us perspective !.

This painting has been modeled on three trees , some where deep in The Zambezi valley , hidden away in the jesse , they have been meeting place for the great grey Giants for centuries .Set in the hazy afternoon sun ,elephant dung- scattered around the trees  – creating an atmosphere of its own .The aroma of the dust and sweat creates an ambiance – so typically Africa!

These are the spirits of the valley  !

Will Maberly 2011 

Poetry in Motion

 

As the low light caresses the trees and the shadows begin to relax into the dusk, it starts to feel like the scorched beauty of the Africa sighs  with relief after spending another day gasping in the sweltering, merciless midday heat.

 This picture shows three elephants moving off in almost perfect formation to have a dust bath after a refreshing drink at Ngweshla pan , and then on into the teak forests and amongst the Camel thorns  constantly searching for food in the cooler temperature

These pans have provided life for countless generations of elephants over the years. They beckon as a meeting place for these contemplative giants. Compacted earth and the soft carpet of dung around the pans create an aura nothing less than spiritual, a place where worship can only be soulful.

This is Africa!  A harsh paradise of natural beauty ,where the majestic elephants and their natural environment have become the subjects of myth. Their legends swirl through Africa, floating through the imaginations of generations, weaving a tapestry of Africa that fits snugly over the shoulders of those who stop to contemplate.  The heat, the dust, the different aromas of memories of elephants and the sound of the wind gently soothing the aged branches of the trees  - these will stay with me forever.

 This image , a snapshot of life which portrays a silence and a gentle purpose to life , that we as a species have now in most cases lost in our rush to material wealth.

Of the many thousands of photographs I have taken , this is one of the successes – it says so much , in such a quiet way , and it is so typical of this wonderful Africa !

We are truly wealthy in a way that most of the world will never know , Our wealth is the wild and its example to us - unlike great chests of gold sovereigns that eventually end  , our wealth will always be here , we just have to recognize it  in that little space of time we have  here  , because once you have - your soul will change for ever

Just been in the great Zambezi Valley ....... again !!! fantastic as always , we have to preserve -its up to us now

Trust

TRUST

  Africa.... as the oranges turned to pink, and the last evening lights caught the clouds, there was a quiet expectancy as I watched these two elephants at a spring deep in the jesse of the Zambezi Valley.

The aroma of Africa, an exotic blend of damp earth, dung, dust and heat – quintessential to the Valley, a sensation unchanged for centuries fitted comfortably with me as I watched these majestic animals, absorbing each others energy, quietly listening and understanding – caressing each other with their trunks, displaying trust and integrity with one another and with a higher purpose – life.

For them and other animals, the spring is life, it’s the source – and perhaps their journey to this point has been long and dusty, but their trust in this place has been there for generations – passed on from those before them – they just believe in it as they believe in each other – there is no place for doubt!

In the almost sensual tranquility of the evening, there is a sense of being in a void, of being timeless, where contemplation is pure, a time for a clearer thought process and an understanding that life is about integrity and giving!  Nature tends to invoke a deeper purer thought process within us – and as we watch and listen – the stories and legends of Africa swirl through our minds like camp fire smoke, twisting and turning images of life, our lives, and what makes us who we are.

Witnessing this has made me think of how we all fit, do we trust in a higher purpose? Life is about relationships and love – we have been too lost in the world of today and seldom do we access that place within us, the place where we get perspective, a place where we even understand the existence of a higher being, of spirit, of God or whatever you choose to call him.

As we have discussed, there are choices in life, paths that we follow – often blindly taking those choices – and seeing reason for them only later with the benefit of hindsight.

This painting depicts so much and has been a pleasure to create – like the wrinkles of age – each brushstroke creates character and the captivating blend of colours as they work together represent the coming together of your souls in life from now.

The painting is an amalgamation of the known and the unknown – of the road you have travelled, and the road from here – some roads may be dusty and dry and some may be through greener pastures.  The Picture portrays the trust that we must have in life and have in each other – a knowing and belief in our own destiny and purpose!

“I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.”

“Unless you love someone, nothing else makes sense.”  E.E. Cummings

Paintings are a meditation for me – I get lost in the excitement of the emotions that flow through me as I put oil to canvas. Each painting is a story, a novel made up from experiences that I have had, sights I have seen, and life that I have lived.
There is no tomorrow when you are completely involved in art that way,  and actually as there is only the guarantee of this moment anyway – it is an easy way of transferring into the present, a phenomena that we seldom reach these days in our busy human lives.
As I contemplate the never ending movie show in my mind, I feel that perhaps it’s the promise of another hour – another 24 hours that excites us so – yes the promise of more is everything – the possibility of success in one form or another is a massive driving energy.
Perhaps our confusion appears in our interpretation of the word success.  Perhaps this is where the root of dissatisfaction is.  That interpretation can lead to possibly one of the most detrimental things to mankind as, in our world, there is never enough! It is this creation of the never ending hunger that is killing nature.


Whilst watching a documentary put together on Africa and its Big Cats recently – a terrible feeling of sadness swept through me as I realized the desperate plight that the cats and our beautiful Africa is in, but more so, the desperate realization that unless we act, there is no future ahead for Nature as we know it.  


As a species we have never had enough, and we are consuming everything at such a pace.  Take one moment to ponder the thought of ecological collapse! Soon we will be consuming ourselves! Ironically then the very thing that excites us the most – the prospect of more – will no longer exist!
So sit for a minute and look around – take it all in – as they say, each day is a gift! Ponder the magnificence of nature around you and ask-" how much do we really need ?"

My Voice In The Wild

Welcome to my thoughts and inspirations -painting has become a medium of expression for me - perhaps a way to re ignite the deep seated emotions and knowings we have locked up in side of us .It has been my intention in these creations,  to  portray my umbilical attachment to Africa .The wild for me is my “musha” a place where my soul sighs. I belong here. This is where I inhale life. 

We are truly wealthy in a way that most of the world will never know , Our wealth is the wild and its example to us - unlike great chests of gold sovereigns that eventually end  , our wealth will always be here , we just have to recognize it  in that little space of time we have  here  , because once you have - your soul will change for ever This is Africa!