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William Astley Maberly

Spirits of the Valley Oil on Linen 140cm x 100 cm I have always loved trees. They are truly wonderful beings and I often wish they could talk because they could really tell some stories about what they have witnessed. Perhaps they can verify some of the myths that have been handed down for centuries. Baobabs in particular seem to be timeless, and I find them deeply spiritual as there is an air that surrounds them that penetrates my soul, calming me and their relationship with the elephants, the old men of the bush enthrals me. As the sun slips toward the horizon, these great old trees, like sentry’s watch and monitor all life around them, quietly living each moment as it is. Their trunks anointed with markings and messages from generations of elephants, they are the notice boards in the thick jesse bush of the Zambezi Valley. This painting has been modelled on three trees, somewhere deep in the Zambezi valley, hidden away in the Jesse, they have been a meeting place for the great grey giants for centuries. Set in the hazy afternoon sun with elephant dung scattered around them, creating an atmosphere of its own, so typically Africa! These are the ‘Spirits of the valley Tread lightly Will Maberly.