Once again I have swopped the warm African sun for the cold, dark and wet winter in Germany.
As a reminder of the creative fun that can be had in the cold I decided to share with you a little sketch I did on an outing to our favourite forest last year.
There were lots of frozen puddles of water and I liked how clear they were, like solid three-dimensional piece of nature art. Feeling a bit homesick I instinctively decided to add some African imagery to it. Maybe something like rock-art on ice?
I happened to have a white Tippex marker with me and started to draw a kudu. I was moderately happy with that. So a bit further away I started again, drawing a person, thinking this might turn into a traditional hunting scene.
Kudu and man on ice in the forest
The lines I drew dissolved and moved in weird ways on the ice surface, so I did not have much control, and thought adding a bow and arrow would totally mess it up. I felt awkward and unhappy with both figures. It needed something interesting to happen to save it…
Along came the leopard.
Leopard and man on ice in the forest
Interestingly the leopard started to chase the person and not the kudu, who was watching from a safe distance.
Unfortunately I cannot tell you how the story ended, as it got so cold, that I rather put on my gloves again and walked on.
Last view of the scene with the leopard chasing the man into the distance
Wishing you a happy and playful week and the perfect weather for your creative expressions!
Imke
Imke Rust 
I guess they vanish in a song. I will try it out while car driving to my working places, crossing more sleeping meadows, hidden puddles and crackling tones in the landscape.
Good morning! Christine
Good morning Christine! Yes, they would vanish quickly, depending on the weather. But the beauty is that the memory traces will be there forever and will hopefully entice more people to come out into nature and explore or play.
Amazing how clear the ice is. If it wasn’t for your beautiful art I wouldn’t have thought it was frozen at all. I love the kudu roaming German ice patches now 🙂
Although, the first image it looks as though the man is running from the kudu so perhaps the kudu sent the leopard to hunt the man! Beautiful and I would love to be a walker discovering your artwork on patches of ice — what a wonderful surprise that would be!
Oh, thank you! I was also struck be the clear ice. I always wonder if somebody would discover my art and hope that they feel intrigued by it. But I also take care to not leave permanent traces… just ‘footsteps’ that will eventually be blown or washed away. I guess the chances of them being discovered and appreciated out in nature is quite small, that is why I hope people like you at least stumble over them here in the digital jungle 🙂
I hope the person escaped too and the Leopard was nontheless happy. I watched the report about Namibia last weekend – they are wonderfully beautiful creatures – pity that they can’t cease to eat others!
Love – Ute
Who knows? Maybe the leopard just wanted to invite the person to not shoot the antilope or be scared of the leopard, so that they could all cuddle up together 🙂
Glad to see the kudu is still with you
🙂 🙂 Yes, me too!
You crack me up! What a wonderful idea dear Imke. Kudu and Leopards, just your thing 🙂 xxx
Thank you Jutta! it is so strange how I often make art, which land in some folder and become a distant memory. Then suddenly months or years later I realise how much they fit in to my current life or situation. 🙂 Hugs to you xoxo