STEPH WALTON

Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1954 I have always had a passion for the African bush and all its jewels of nature. As a child I spent my time exploring the bush and marvelling at the ever changing faces of Africa, From the dry dusty golden winters to the savage rainy seasons, with the tropical rainstorms that magically change the bush from the harsh dry arid scrub, to lush green plains of grass and waterholes teeming with choruses of frogs celebrating the abundance of the new season. Its from these attributes that I get my passion to put my brush to canvas and provide the vast wildness of the African bush to you and show how it really is.

I spend a lot of time in really wild places gathering material for my work. I count this as a blessing to see all the wonderful places Africa has to give and then paint what have I experienced. I used to sketch a lot when I was young and was encouraged by my brother.

My husband Andrew is a farmer and has always been a great support and gives me invaluable advice. We have lived in some beautiful wild places where we had several wonderful pets. We had a cheetah named Dindi (local name for cheetah) who turned from a hissing spitfire to a lovable character who slept on our beds and if we were not careful raided the fridge if he had half the chance!
We also had a kudu to whom we gave her freedom but always stayed close by bringing three generations of her young to show us and to eat my cosmos in the garden! Even bringing a magnificent kudu bull to our back door to show us what a great husband she had chosen. We also raised a bush pig and a warthog who were both great characters.

© ArtnetAfrica 2004 ©