Samburu Stretch
Apr 26, 10:00 PM

Samburu Stretch is my latest sculpture and measures 21 inches long, 6 inches wide and 8 inches tall. This piece was directly inspired by the last lions I saw in Africa. On my last day in the Samburu reserve I saw a lioness with cubs. In the long afternoon shadows the lioness stood up and stretched before going on a stroll with her cubs.

Upon returning I reviewed footage and reference of the moment and did this memory sketch. I’ve learned a lot about drawing from David Pimentel who describes gesture as opposing rubber bands, which stretch and pull each other.

The trick is to find the gesture and tension and push it to make a unique pose all its own. As artists we are at our best when we create, not copy. In Samburu Stretch I really tried to feel the kinesthetic stretching and pulling of muscles all the way down to the lioness’ retractable claws.

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Comments

You have captured the essence of animal behavior beautifully in your work. I have an identical image of a Leopard doing this stretch shot in Kabini.

— Thomas · Apr 28, 12:41 AM · #

This stretch is so realistic, I like it. I also liked it when your young son was assisting in a blog a couple ahead of this one.

— Glennis · May 6, 07:37 PM · #