My influences
Simon Combs, Wildlife Artist/Writer.
Biography
In 1940, Simon Combes was born in “Wilderness
Cottage,” in Shaftsbury, England, and from that day in June,
the wilderness always attracted him. His first adventures began
early when, in 1946, his parents immigrated to farm in Kenya’s
Great Rift Valley, a magical place for a young boy.
Simon loathed his years at boarding school in Nakuru and at Duke
of York in Nairobi, always longing for the freedom of the bush.
While managing a 2,000 acre farm when he was eventeen, he was drafted
into six months compulsory military training after already applying
for appointment in the Kings African Rifles. He was accepted into
4 KAR but having just finished his training was sent to Uganda where
one of his duties was to teach basic etiquette and rugby to a young
Idi Amin. He attended Sandhurst Military Academy and returned to
Kenya to join the 3rd Kings African Rifles in time for Kenya’s
Independence.
In 1964, Simon was chosen to form and command Kenya’s elite
Parachute Regiment. This involved training the first 250 paratroopers
in England, and translating all the instruction books into Swahili.
Their first posting back in Kenya was fighting the Shifta war in
the North Eastern province. It was during this time Simon started
to draw and paint as a hobby to occupy his spare time. His subjects
were the Somali and Boran people and the landscapes of the North.
In 1969, he held his first exhibition in Nairobi which was a sell-out
on the opening night. It was then that the idea of painting full-time
started. However, he was refused release from the army and was moved
to army HQ as staff officer in charge of all operations and training.
He was also captain of the army shooting team and vice chairman
to the Kenya Rifle Association. A Major at 28 and performing the
duties of a Lieutenant Colonel, his military peers remember him
fondly as a “True Kenyan.” Finally, in 1974, he was
released from the army and started life as a professional artist.
Best known for his stunning images wildlife in the African bush,
he achieved worldwide success and acclamation through many prestigious
awards. His paintings hang in private and museum collections around
the globe.
Simon’s life was rich with great adventures and wildlife encounters.
From being lost in a blizzard while crossing the Altai Mountains
in Mongolia and flying into the jungles of Venezuela to sketching
Bengal Tigers atop a howdah on a swaying elephant in India, his
experiences and observations led him to develop his exacting artistic
style, rendering his subjects with such depth and exquisite detail.
Africa & Beyond: The Art and Adventures of Simon Combes, a retrospective
exhibition of Simon’s major works, was held at The Wildlife
Experience Museum in 2004 to celebrate his great artistic achievements.
Since 1979, The Greenwich Workshop, Inc., has published his works
as Fine Art Reproductions on paper and canvas. He always said, if
given the time he would rather write than paint. his talent is apparent
in his books An African Experience, distributed by The Greenwich
Workshop and Great Cats, published by The Greenwich Workshop, Inc.
Simon was also working on a book of Limericks about life in Kenya
which reveals his ability to entertain us with his wit and humor.
Simon had a wonderful talent for communication, whether in speech,
writing or painting. Never self assuming, he gave talks in Kiswahili
to the farm staff, through a translator to school children in Russia
and also to many interested groups around the world.
Not only a man of the arts, but an avid conservationist as well,
Simon had recently appointed Kenya Representative and Project Director
for Rhino Rescue Trust. He sat on the boards of several wildlife
conservation organizations and raised, through his art, many thousands
of dollars for their causes.
On Sunday, December 12, 2004, atop a beautiful ancient volcano near
his home in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Simon’s life
was tragically taken by one of the wild animals he so lovingly portrayed
in his paintings. He never “gathered moss” and now he
has come home. He is survived by his wife Kat, his children, Cindy
and Guy, his sister, Jenny all of Kenya and his former wife Susie
of England. We shall remember Simon well.
