1. Guy Combes Breaking Cover $395.00
Safari Tip #8 Sighting a Leopard: “My mantra on safari for sighting leopards is one taught to me by my father,” relates Guy Combes. “Don't look for a large cat with spots because that's not what you will see. At any distance over 100 feet the spots begin to lose their definition and magically blend into whatever background the cat resides. If you are in bright-green Aberdare cloud forest or dry warm savannah, it makes no difference.
“What you must look for is a large brown almost invisible cat. The only thing that will give him away (and he'd get rid of it if it wasn't for its usefulness as a counterbalance when climbing trees) is the bright white tip at the end of his tail, which he twitches and waves around like he's trying to shake the damn thing off.”
Another rare sighting is to watch a painting come together from beginning to end in under two minutes. Guy Combes has provided that for Breaking Cover, which you can view by clicking below. If you’ve come this far, don’t miss it.
It is exciting to watch an artist create and while our process may be far more technical, it’s magical in its own way as well. In the end, the only way you could possess a finer version of the Greenwich Workshop Fine Art Canvas Breaking Cover would be to own the original itself. But don’t wait too long because with an edition of only 30, spots won’t be the only thing making this leopard hard to find!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XoFWpTuL1EY
2. Guy Combes Rothschilds Reprise $395.00
Lake Nakuru National Park rests on the floor of Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Three generations of the Combes’ family have called this land their home. Guy Combes carries on the tradition of capturing the mystique and beauty of this fabled place and its majestic wildlife that makes its home there. One can sense the dry heat and almost smell the scent of baked dust in this work of art. Such artistic intimacy can only be created by an artist who’s life is tied to this African Wild Kingdom.
3. Guy Combes Sanctuary $595.00
“With no remains of a kill to be seen,” recounts artist Guy Combes, “it took me a while to figure out what had happened here before I arrived. The beautiful female leopard perched precariously in the fork of a boscia tree¯for which the Maasai Mara is famous¯looked like she had either just fed or was expecting cubs and three hyenas circled its base. My conclusion was that she had successfully hunted in the early dawn, managed to drag her quarry into the tree, partially fed, but then lost the remainder of her prey to the hyenas. Leopards and hyenas are both fearsome predators, but if outnumbered a leopard is far better off retreating to safety. The leopard’s phenomenal ability to climb trees is essential, not only for keeping prey away from others, but also to reach sanctuary when faced with danger. The hyenas finally lost interest and moved away, allowing this leopard to descend and slink off to a nearby ravine.”
Guy is fresh off his “Old World-New World” Joint Exhibition (with Greenwich Workshop artist Andrew Denman) at Nature in Art Museum in the United Kingdom. He is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists, Artists for Conservation and last year was the first ever winner of the International Artists Magazine wildlife competition.
4. Guy Combes The Constant Gardener $495.00
In the thick high altitude forest of the Aberdare National Park in Kenya, a favorite of mine because it is so seldom visited by tourists, it is not uncommon to come round a corner and startle a bull elephant such as this one, says artist Guy Combes. My proximity was so immediate that I was almost able to see the thought processes in his eyes going from surprise to indignance, as he brought himself to full attention raising his head and looking down his trunk at me. I was able to snap a couple of shots before beating a very hasty retreat as indignance turned to rage and a charge was imminent.
5. Guy Combes The Constant Gardener $950.00
In the thick high altitude forest of the Aberdare National Park in Kenya, a favorite of mine because it is so seldom visited by tourists, it is not uncommon to come round a corner and startle a bull elephant such as this one, says artist Guy Combes. My proximity was so immediate that I was almost able to see the thought processes in his eyes going from surprise to indignance, as he brought himself to full attention raising his head and looking down his trunk at me. I was able to snap a couple of shots before beating a very hasty retreat as indignance turned to rage and a charge was imminent.
6. Guy Combes Big Daddy $595.00
Artist Guy Combes’ star in international wildlife painting and conservation continues to rise. He is actively involved in several groups including the Soysambu Conservancy (protection of Africa’s Great Rift Valley ecosystem), the Action for Cheetahs in Kenya and efforts to prevent the Tanzanian government from building a road across the northern migration routes of the Serengeti National Park. Elephants are another of Guy Combes’ beloved causes.
“Elephants,” says Guy Combes, “are to the Amboseli National Park what wildebeest are to the Mara/Serengeti, which is to say that the environment suits them perfectly. The juxtaposition of forest on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and the plains and swamps of the Amboseli lake basin are an Eden for the elephant who rotate on a daily basis, moving en masse to the most abundant food supply. On the way back to camp one day I found myself directly in the way of a gathering of several herds, numbering around 300 in total, that were making their way down from the mountain to the swamp to cool off in the midday heat. They were so absorbed in reaching the water that they were oblivious to my presence and simply walked around my parked vehicle where I had resigned to sit and wait. There was simply nowhere to go to get out of their way and even if I had tried I feared I might provoke one of the large males. I was inspired to paint one of these bulls walking towards me through the dust, his head nodding and swaying with great and elegant movement, followed by several females and young. This now ranks at the top of my many experiences that have left me in complete awe of the scale and majesty of nature and I will revisit this scene many times again in my mind and most probably on canvas.”
Climate change, poaching and relentless human development are threatening the future of these great Amboseli elephant herds and there are many conservation warriors fighting to save them, including The Amboseli Trust for Elephants.” www.elephanttrust.org
7. Guy Combes Phantom $395.00
Guy Combes’ Phantom reveals something not seen in East Africa for over 90 years, a rare “morph” cheetah. Not an albino cheetah, it is rather one with an extremely rare genetic color variation significantly reducing its number of spots. Guy was the first to photograph and paint the great cat. The last morph cheetah known to man was shot in Tanzania in 1921. Guy’s urgency to paint it had several motivations: to heighten awareness of its existence and to encourage monitoring and protecting it.
The area where it was discovered is home to one of the highest cheetah populations in East Africa. Important factors to the population size are the lack of larger predators that could threaten their existence, a large prey base and an area relatively protected from new development. This, of course, is the greatest problem that cheetahs face and Combes has faintly suggested an encroaching settlement complete with cell phone tower on the ridge in the middle distance. Beyond are Kenya’s Ngong Hills.
A setting full moon and the rising sun are intentionally symbolic here. The moon represents Artemis, the goddess of animals and forests and the sun, Apollo, the god of arts. The title, Phantom, suggests an elusive, mythical entity that exists somewhere between night and day.
For ways you can help protect this rare morph cheetah go to Action for Cheetahs in Kenya http://www.actionforcheetahs.org/ or Athi Kapiti Conservancy http://cheetah.wildlifedirect.org/
8. Guy Combes Phantom $695.00
Guy Combes’ Phantom reveals something not seen in East Africa for over 90 years, a rare “morph” cheetah. Not an albino cheetah, it is rather one with an extremely rare genetic color variation significantly reducing its number of spots. Guy was the first to photograph and paint the great cat. The last morph cheetah known to man was shot in Tanzania in 1921. Guy’s urgency to paint it had several motivations: to heighten awareness of its existence and to encourage monitoring and protecting it.
The area where it was discovered is home to one of the highest cheetah populations in East Africa. Important factors to the population size are the lack of larger predators that could threaten their existence, a large prey base and an area relatively protected from new development. This, of course, is the greatest problem that cheetahs face and Combes has faintly suggested an encroaching settlement complete with cell phone tower on the ridge in the middle distance. Beyond are Kenya’s Ngong Hills.
A setting full moon and the rising sun are intentionally symbolic here. The moon represents Artemis, the goddess of animals and forests and the sun, Apollo, the god of arts. The title, Phantom, suggests an elusive, mythical entity that exists somewhere between night and day.
For ways you can help protect this rare morph cheetah go to Action for Cheetahs in Kenya http://www.actionforcheetahs.org/ or Athi Kapiti Conservancy http://cheetah.wildlifedirect.org/
9. Guy Combes Titan I $425.00
“These two paintings aren't intended to be a diptych in the sense that there is a continuum or inter-action between them,” says wildlife artist Guy Combes. “More so, I wanted to convey the essence of these formidable foes of the plains separately but 'mirroring' each other, too. The monolithic cold dark colors of the buffalo contrast with the warm energy of the lion's head and mane. There's something about the power and carriage of each animal that suggests similarities between them.”
Guy Combes was most recently featured at the Society of Animal Artists exhibition and sale in San Diego, California where his painting Leopard Lounge was a show favorite. He is also actively involved in efforts to prevent the Tanzanian government from building a road across the northern migration routes of the Serengeti National Park. To learn how you can help go to http://www.savetheserengeti.org
10. Guy Combes Titan II $425.00
“These two paintings aren't intended to be a diptych in the sense that there is a continuum or inter-action between them,” says wildlife artist Guy Combes. “More so, I wanted to convey the essence of these formidable foes of the plains separately but 'mirroring' each other, too. The monolithic cold dark colors of the buffalo contrast with the warm energy of the lion's head and mane. There's something about the power and carriage of each animal that suggests similarities between them.”
Guy Combes was most recently featured at the Society of Animal Artists exhibition and sale in San Diego, California where his painting Leopard Lounge was a show favorite. He is also actively involved in efforts to prevent the Tanzanian government from building a road across the northern migration routes of the Serengeti National Park. To learn how you can help go to http://www.savetheserengeti.org
11. Guy Combes Leopard Lounge $695.00
“Find a sausage tree,” says Guy Combes, “and the cances are good you’ll find a leopard as well. They are ideal for leopards, with their large broad branches to sprawl out on or to place a kill for safekeeping away from lions, hyenas and jackals. Leopards have evolved incredibly strong fore and hind leg muscles specifically for climbing trees. This trait allows them to avoid fighting with other animals of prey over a kill.
“Sausage trees don’t grow in stands, so a large solitary tree provides a leopard not only with solitude but also with an expansive view of what is happening in the territory around it. Leopards will hunt from the early evening to dawn so at midday, as it was when I came across this great cat on the Maasai Mara, leopards are most likely resting. This cat was so comfortable in its perch that a group of elephants rubbing themselves on the base of the tree barely disturbed it.”
To view Leopard Lounge in process go to: www.guycombes.com and click “On The Easel.”
12. Guy Combes Tango $450.00
“This painting is about the promise of a partnership I believe in,” says Guy Combes. “The ranch my family is associated with in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, Soysambu, has become a nature conservancy. Wild cheetahs have not been seen at Soysambu for over 6 years, but a long-term feasibility study by the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) has been undertaken to assess the possibility of trans-locating them here from areas where their survival is threatened. Part of that plan is to set up a sanctuary on the Soysambu Conservancy with the help of Action for Cheetahs in Kenya and Project Survival's Cat Haven in California.
As you can see, Soysambu is an ideal location for the cheetah. Project Survival had commissioned me to paint their cheetah, Tango, who came from South Africa and was raised at their fabulous Cat Haven facility outside Fresno, California. I suggested that in the spirit of the project, he be the first 'trans-location' to Soysambu. In the background is one of Soysambu’s most recognizable landmarksųa small volcano named 'The Sleeping Warrior.’”
Further information may be found on the following websites:
http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=ccf_kenya
http://www.cathaven.com/
http://soysambuconservancy.org/index.htm
13. Guy Combes High Hopes $450.00
This small herd of Rothschild giraffe is making its way across the Great Rift Valley as pelicans from Lake Elmenteita pass overhead. Less than 700 of the Rothschild giraffe are thought to remain in existence, possibly only 500. Their habitat is severely depleted and this giraffe subspecies can only be found in the wild in areas of Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda, Nakuru National Park in Kenya and Soysambu Conservancy, also in Kenya. “At Soysambu we have a population of 60 that are breeding very successfully,” says artist Guy Combes. The Soysambu Conservancy is a non-profit organization whose goal is to preserve Africa’s Great Rift Valley ecosystem for the benefit of future generations of both man and animal.
14. Guy Combes The Creche $550.00
The Aberdare National Park in Kenya, which ranges from 9 to 15,000 feet in elevation, is an enchanted island of montane forest on the edge of the Rift Valley. The elephants that inhabit this Eden are accustomed to their privacy since there is so much cover to protect them from the few people that visit the park. My inspiration for The Creche came from a recent visit. As I approached the herd, these three females immediately huddled around their young to protect them. The Aberdare National Park is a very special place for my own family, too. It is where we regularly gather to pay our respects to my grandparents, my uncle and my father, so the family theme seemed particularly appropriate to me.
15. Guy Combes Monarch of Mwaluganje $595.00
“Mwaluganje was set up primarily as an elephant sanctuary to help with the devastating poaching in and around Tsavo National Park,” says artist Guy Combes. “It has been so successful that now the sanctuary has an overpopulation problem. This river is a popular refreshment stop for substantial family groups, but this large bull came down one morning and stepped out into the sunlight, complimented perfectly by the outline of the Shimba Hills behind. At the moment I am drawn more to images of Africa that don’t necessarily conform to people’s preconceived ideas of it. Most people visit when it’s dry, but my favorite time is during and after the rains, when the greens are more vivid, the animals have more food and seem much happier as a result.”
16. Guy Combes Rothschild Giraffe Nakuru Park $595.00
With only several hundred animals remaining, the Rothschild Giraffe, also
known as the Baringo or Ugandan Giraffe, is the second-most endangered giraffe subspecies on earth. Only a handful locations on earth can boast a Rothschild Giraffe population, including Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya, where artist Guy Combes makes his home.
Combes’ father, artist Simon Combes, was instrumental in Lake Nakuru National Park for Rhino Rescue, which was responsible for fencing off the park to protect a newly introduced population of white and black rhinoceros.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Guy has been a part of committee action and has helped his stepmother, Kat, to continue this very important work. The results of Guy’s impressive efforts in the worlds of conservation and wildlife art will be featured in the Artists for Conservation Foundation’s first annual juried exhibition this coming September. The exhibition will be held at the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, where Guy is currently Artist in Residence.
17. Guy Combes Ancestral Oasis MasterWork $1250.00
Migration is essential to the elephants" survival. Their conscience is hardwired to an ancient cycle of movement. It allows them to experience changing rhythms and climate patterns. This understanding insures they are never too far from water and food. Their complex society and family trees are woven into this landscape as much as the rocks and trees. With a resource as precious as water, it takes a collective awareness by growing communities and landowners in this vast area to ensure their protection.
18. Guy Combes Ancestral Oasis $595.00
Migration is essential to the elephants" survival. Their conscience is hardwired to an ancient cycle of movement. It allows them to experience changing rhythms and climate patterns. This understanding insures they are never too far from water and food. Their complex society and family trees are woven into this landscape as much as the rocks and trees. With a resource as precious as water, it takes a collective awareness by growing communities and landowners in this vast area to ensure their protection.
19. Guy Combes Passage of Promise Masterwork $1950.00
Passage of Promise. Amboseli elephant herds with Kilimanjaro in the background. Proceeds from the sale of each of these prints go to Amboseli Trust for Elephants. ATEs research arm, the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, has made many important contributions to elephant research over the years. The knowledge gained from the AERP team has profoundly altered the way we think about, conserve and manage elephant populations. Our research has highlighted the ethical implications of dealing with sentient, long-lived, intelligent and social complex animals and our knowledge base provides powerful and authoritative support to elephant conservation and advocacy campaigns worldwide. For more than four decades AERPs presence has helped ensure the survival of the elephants as well as the Amboseli ecosystem. AERP research covers many areas including: social organization, behavior, demography, ecological dynamics, spatial analyses and mapping, communication, genetics, human-elephant interactions and cognition. Our long-term datasets underpin all these research topics.
20. Guy Combes Passage of Promise Masterwork $850.00
Passage of Promise. Amboseli elephant herds with Kilimanjaro in the background. Proceeds from the sale of each of these prints go to Amboseli Trust for Elephants. ATEs research arm, the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, has made many important contributions to elephant research over the years. The knowledge gained from the AERP team has profoundly altered the way we think about, conserve and manage elephant populations. Our research has highlighted the ethical implications of dealing with sentient, long-lived, intelligent and social complex animals and our knowledge base provides powerful and authoritative support to elephant conservation and advocacy campaigns worldwide. For more than four decades AERPs presence has helped ensure the survival of the elephants as well as the Amboseli ecosystem. AERP research covers many areas including: social organization, behavior, demography, ecological dynamics, spatial analyses and mapping, communication, genetics, human-elephant interactions and cognition. Our long-term datasets underpin all these research topics.
21. Guy Combes Passage of Promise Museum $3250.00
Passage of Promise. Amboseli elephant herds with Kilimanjaro in the background. Proceeds from the sale of each of these prints go to Amboseli Trust for Elephants. ATEs research arm, the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, has made many important contributions to elephant research over the years. The knowledge gained from the AERP team has profoundly altered the way we think about, conserve and manage elephant populations. Our research has highlighted the ethical implications of dealing with sentient, long-lived, intelligent and social complex animals and our knowledge base provides powerful and authoritative support to elephant conservation and advocacy campaigns worldwide. For more than four decades AERPs presence has helped ensure the survival of the elephants as well as the Amboseli ecosystem. AERP research covers many areas including: social organization, behavior, demography, ecological dynamics, spatial analyses and mapping, communication, genetics, human-elephant interactions and cognition. Our long-term datasets underpin all these research topics.
22. Guy Combes Mbogo Mkuu $595.00
Mbogo Mkuu - Guy Combes encountered this mbogo mkuu (chief buffalo) at a wildlife sanctuary near his home at Soysambu in Kenya. By the lake, among the reeds, is where the old buffalo bulls go when theyve been ousted from the herd. "You sometimes see them in pairs or on their own,â says the artist, "but when theyve been ejected from the herd they tend to be very defensive and aggressive. "In addition to the attitude, the buffalo has evolved his fearsome horns. Buffalo are primary prey for lions and to bring down a full-grown buffalo usually takes up to three or four lionesses. To be able to fight off three or four large lions, a buffalo needs some ammunition."
