A E London Journal

Summer Adventures 2017

This has been a very busy ,but quite successful summer. We made many new friends and had some incredible wildlife encounters , thanks to some of those new friends . We were invited to exhibit work in London and Paris and donated art to conservation exhibitions in Namibia and South Africa as well as across the United States. We managed to "sneak in" some great hiking and wildlife adventures and supported a dear friend who is battling cancer.

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Arts for Animals in Action

We just got a lovely email from one of the folks we work with in Africa. One of our partners there is" Children in the Wilderness', a community involvement arm of Wilderness Safaris whom we have been working with for years( more information on Children in the Wilderness is on our website www.artsforanimals.com) Each year, they close their wilderness camps to clients and open them to children from local communities who are members of their eco-Rangers program.
These kids get to spend the week observing wildlife, studying wildlife biology, playing games and learning about the importance of their wildlife to their own future. Our program,Arts for Animals provides lesson plans, drawing kits and posters for the kids to develop their artistic skills and connect creativity with conservation. Through our "Wildlife Protector" program, the children make a pledge to protect their wildlife and get a signed contract and glow-in-the-dark wristband signify their participation as a "Wildlife Protector".
Here are some of the photographs they sent us showing the kids with their signed contracts and proudly displaying their wristbands which say," I protect Animals - Our wildlife- My heritage- My future "

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Coconut Grove 2017

Our first show this year was Coconut Grove, in Miami. This is one of " best shows" in the nation with well over 3000 applications from artists to fill 350 spots at the show. Usually we do the coconut Grove show, and then follow that up with the Naples international show the following week. However, this year the Naples show apparently missed their permit application date and had to hold their show the same weekend as Coconut Grove. Although many of our friends made the drive over from Naples to Miami, we still missed many of our friends from Naples.
We always enjoy seeing all our old friends in the Miami area and we often make new friends from all over the world at the show. For example, last year we sold several pieces to a lovely couple to furnish their new home in Switzerland.
Visit started with a wonderful dinner with Ron McGill of the Miami zoo and his beautiful wife,Rita.Besides being one of the most knowledgable and successful conservationists on the planet, Ron has been both an inspiration and mentor helping us manage Arts For Animals.They took us to an incredible steakhouse where we had a Brontosaurus sized Ribeye .( the "leftovers" of which we ate for dinner the following 3 nights). It was delicious and we always really enjoy seeing Ron and Rita and trading travel and animal stories.
Another one of the high points for us this year was getting to know our hosts at the air B&B we stayed in. Phil and Suzy Stapelton. Both Phil and Susie are artists and have created a lovely retreat only a few blocks from the show near the Coconut Grove waterfront.We used our new bikes and rode to and from the show each day.Each night we sat outside under the stars and flowering bougainvillea and traded stories with Phil,Suzy and their interesting neighbors.
It was an interesting coincidence that author,Larry Kritcher, lives across the street.Larry was an airline pilot between 1950 and 1980 and used his airline privileges to visit every corner of the world. He wrote of his adventures with his wife Rita and is working on his second book. The real coincidence is that Rita told us that it was a conversation they had with us 2 years before,at the 2015 Coconut Grove festival , that encouraged them to visit Namibia last year and Larry had included us in the first chapter of his latest book chronicling that trip!
Ya never know who you'll meet at art shows!


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For me this Christmas was a time for Recuperation

Unfortunately ,I was rear ended in an auto accident last June and have been suffering the after effects for several months. Without going into the gory details, I had to have neck surgery in early December. As you might expect the hardest part of recuperation was being still. Just not in my nature I guess. The good news is that the surgery was a success and I am slowly getting back into the studio to do what I love most.
I did manage a trip into town with my friends Glen and Laura and Jim to view one of the coolest night parades of Mardi Gras. It was the all-female KREWE OF MUSES and it was really a hoot.

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OUR AFRICAN ADVENTURE 2016

Our annual African safaris are always a great adventure. Just like the early African explorers, we never know what wildlife dramas will unfold before us. Of course, part of our adventure is sharing Africa with our friends and this year we had some wonderful friends along. We had some amazing experiences together, shared a lot of laughs, and became even better friends than when we started.

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Presenting my artwork to the President of Botswana

For many years I have applauded the conservation efforts of the country of Botswana. President Khama followed in his father's footsteps( His father was the first president of Botswana after independence and was convinced that Botswana's wildlife was one of its most important resources- as important as diamonds) establishing Botswana as one of the most conservation aware nations in Africa. When I learned my friends Willie and Anna were personal friends of the president, I asked them to set up a meeting so that I could show my support for their efforts. It was an interesting and humbling experience. It was also a very emotional one for me and, while reading the letter Jim and I wrote, I started tearing up and crying.
Luckily, the television story cut out the part when the presidents Minister came over and offered me his handkerchief and comforted me. I guess that helped to impress them that I was very sincere about my appreciation and support for their efforts. I only wish more people would support these efforts and that more countries in Africa would ban trophy hunting and concentrate on stopping animal poaching within their borders. As least I can say I did my best!

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Houston Zoo Benefit Auction

"And It Was Good" is a 36" x 72" original piece created and donated by A E London and funded by the Regenstein Foundation for the Houston Zoo Benefit Auction to be held October 20th.I chose Sumatran Rhinos as my subject since they are the closest Rhino to extinction.

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ADVENTURES IN TONGA !

In August, Jim and I checked off an important box on our bucket list- swimming with humpback whales on the island of Tonga in the South Pacific. I have always been mesmerized by the beauty and grace of whales and they were often the subject of my early intaglio pieces. Jim convinced me that it would be worthwhile for me to use some of my latest techniques using whales as my subject. And what better place to observe whales in their native habitat than Tonga!
Tonga is a small nation of 130,000 folks in the extreme southern Pacific Ocean. Is the only island nation that was never colonized and has maintained its independence throughout history. Since it's about halfway between Fiji and New Zealand ,It's a regular stop for boats sailing around the world on their way to New Zealand from Fiji.
The pregnant females come to Tonga to have their babies and prepare them for life in the Arctic oceans. Warm, clear water, deep channels and no predators( other than man) make it a perfect nursery area for the giant ,10 ton humpbacks.
The people of Tonga have a lot in common with the people of Africa. Both are intricately linked with the wildlife that surrounds them. Both have faced, and are facing, crucial challenges in preserving their wildlife. Pollution and trash, shrinking habitat, and protection of wildlife from poachers are common threats in both places.
While in Tonga, we made contact with the Vava'u environmental protection Association and set up a conservation and creativity course for students from eight schools all over the island. Just like African kids, the children were excited by guidance in art and discussions about conservation.
The Tongan people are incredibly generous and kind people. There are no homeless people in Tonga since anyone in need is immediately helped by the local people regardless of whether they need a ride, a place to stay, or roof over their heads for weeks at a time.
Although we have been to some pretty primitive areas in Africa, Tonga represented a different kind of poverty and educational challenge. Despite having very little, like Africans, the Tongan people are extremely happy and satisfied to share whatever they have.
Like African people, the heritage and future of the Tongan people lies in preservation of their wildlife and protection of their reef and ocean habitat.


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