Whilst volunteering at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, Kate, one of the founders of the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, asked me to design some drawings of the Big 5 animals for a chitenge design, commissioned by the President of Malawi as part of the Stop Wildife Crime campaign.
One of the tasks as a volunteer is to do a 3 hour shift of Lion Observations, where you are to take notes of Simba (the male ) in particular to document any health problems. This is because Simba has only been at the centre for a year, and has many health problems due to his poor living conditions for the majority of his life before he was rescued by Born Free and brought to LLWC to live out the rest of his life in his homeland and with the medical care he needed.
Some of the things you had to check for were, how many sneezes/coughs/yawns/licks he did, how active he was, any limping or hip swinging whilst walking, if he struggled getting up, his interactions with Bella the lioness who was previously rescued from a zoo in Romania, and any other unnatural things you noticed during your shift. During this time I also did some illustrations, as a lot of the time both lions are very lazy!
Above are some of the drawings taken from my small sketchbook I dedicated to Lion Obs.
These are some of the pictures I drew during the Health Checks carried out on my last day of volunteering. I am so happy I was allowed to participate and watch for another aspect of documentation to go towards my project and experience as a volunteer.
The two lucky monkeys are Nkhwikwi and Nkoko, each checked individually. First they had to be caught and separated, then anaesthetised to check for any physical and internal health problems. This consisted of checking the limbs, and for any injuries, checking for any diseases such as TB, monitoring the heart beat and checking the temperature. Then you wait for them to come around from the anaesthesia, which very much resembles a drunk looking monkey as they regain there balance back.
These are some observational drawings from watching the orphans and troops of baboon,s as well as documenting the scenery and some of the activities that volunteers partake in throughout their days.
This is an observational sketch I did of a stray dog we had to take turns in watching, so it wouldn’t strangle itself or escape, until the local RSPCA came to collect it. Although he seemed friendly enough, unfortunately he was scaring the troops of monkeys and you can also never be sure what diseases they carry, such as rabies.
Watercolour, fine liner pens (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.8) and collage. Collection from various sketchbooks.
It has been an amazing but short two weeks in Malawi, volunteering at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre. Two weeks just wasn’t enough and I was desperate to stay longer. But I needed to get back and complete my final project before I finish my degree, which is 5 weeks away! Shit!
I feel like I have accomplished so much in my two weeks away. Feeding the baby orphans daily, spending 3-hour shifts with the youngest orphan, Munchkin, who is still too young to be left alone in the day time, and spending afternoons on Lion Observations, looking out for any unusual health problems with the most recent rescue, Simba.
(Left to right: Munchkin, Bo, Simba)
It has been two months since my Final Major Project (FMP) began. And I have done pretty much fuck all.
I am uninspired, unmotivated and restless being stuck in the UK. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the UK is great, and there are some amazing places to visit, but not for my artistic inspiration. I want stunning landscapes, exotic wildlife, conservation and something I am passionate about. Where is this… Africa.
So, after discussion with the therapist/best friend that is my father. I came to the conclusion, that the only way I will be happy, is if I follow my passions. I am going to Africa to volunteer for two weeks at Lilongwe Wildlife Centre. I found this fantastic place through the Born Free website, who are amazing advocates for the conservation of wildlife.
If you are thinking of going abroad to volunteer in Africa, please do your research. There are many places across Africa that offer volunteer places, or day visits to see the animals they have “rescued” or are “rehabilitating”. This is a lie. They are actually part of something called Canned Hunting (not for the faint hearted), where animals are forced to breed in captivity, reared by humans and are therefore unafraid of human presence, then hunted in small confined areas by trophy hunters. Unknowing visitors, who go to feed/pet lion cubs and other babies may think they are spending money to help save these animals, but intact are helping to fund a disgusting business. So please, please do your research before you go!
On a happier note, the place I am going to in Malawi does amazing work, and is affiliated with many well known world wide conservation companies. I am so freakin’ excited, I can barely contain it! My trousers (that conveniently convert in to shorts) arrived today, now I just need to start packing and organising things to take with me. Less than one week!!!!
Yesterday I handed in my dissertation on What does the re-emergence of reportage illustration offer to contemporary society? 4702 words, looking at the advantages that illustration has over photography, exploring themes such as truth, time, narrative, comment and engagement. An excerpt from my conclusion:
Reportage illustration allows illustrators to focus on and explore the content of their work, rather than the style and aesthetic. With almost anyone being able to use a camera these days, illustrators have the advantage of creating pictures that are unique and personal, meaning the illustrations engage on a more intimate level with their audience.
It is something I am very much interested in and thoroughly enjoyed researching.
Yesterday, a terrible tragedy happened in France. 12 people were murdered, including 4 cartoonists from the magazine Charlie Hebedo. The magazine was known for it’s satirical illustrations that commented and challenged issues in contemporary society; politics, religion, the police, bankers and more. They used “satire, rather than outright fabrication…[as their] weapon of choice” in the form of pencils, pens and paint. Continue reading
I wish this article had been written about a month ago! It’s a fascinating collection of work by photographer David Benjamin Sherry’s new book Earth Changes, exploring his own vision of the American Western landscape, through re-imagining them as in bright colours through analogue film.
On his work, Sherry says it “bring to attention that our land is rich and alive yet needs to be reconsidered as we are feeling the drastic effects of human caused climate change.”
Throughout my own project I have come to see my work as an exploration of the landscape through my vision. In my illustrations, particularly in the future, I would like to inspire people to travel and experience the amazing landscapes all around the world for themselves.
I have come to enjoy the exploration of patterns and textures within nature, challenging the colours to something of intensity and contrast that pushes the boundaries of a natural landscape.
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