Some paintings begin as quiet ideas in the studio. Majestic Kudu began with a jolt of awe at daybreak in the Kalahari.
As dawn broke over the desert, I stepped quietly from my tent, expecting only the hush of the morning. Instead, I found myself face-to-face with a magnificent male kudu—his spiraled horns catching the first light, his presence both powerful and serene. For a brief moment, we shared the same space, each of us still and alert.
Then, with a single, effortless motion, he leapt over the brush beside him—at least seven feet tall—and vanished into the thicket. All that remained was the echo of that moment and a sense of wonder that stayed with me long after he was gone.
That fleeting encounter is the heartbeat of Majestic Kudu.
In the timelapse below, you can watch that memory take shape on the canvas—from the first loose marks to the final details that bring his character forward:
I began by blocking in the broad shapes and gesture of the kudu, focusing on that poised stillness I felt in the half-light: the angle of his head, the quiet strength in his stance, and the way his horns seemed to hold the first light of morning. At this stage, it’s less about detail and more about capturing the mood of that encounter.
As the painting develops in the video, you’ll see the background emerge alongside the kudu himself. The muted tones of the Kalahari dawn—soft blues, warm ochres, and the subdued greens of the brush—help anchor him in his world. I wanted the environment to feel like that moment just outside the tent: cool air, long shadows, and the sense that anything could step from the edge of the bush.
In the later stages, my attention shifts to the small things that carry the story: the glint of light along the curve of his horns, the subtle striping across his body, and the calm intensity in his eye. Those final marks are my way of honoring the balance I felt in that instant—power and grace, alertness and peace.
For me, Majestic Kudu is more than a portrait. It’s a window back to that shared moment at dawn, standing in the stillness of the Kalahari with a wild animal entirely at home in his element.