"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
-Mahatma Gandhi
Bobby Lewis
Simply put, I am passionate about LIFE. Something about art and animals makes me tick. Yet, somehow I can't simply choose one or the other. For me, they are brother and sister or even Bonnie and Clyde. Animals might be considered "voiceless" by some, whereas art is considered something capable of reaching the masses. But for me, without these animals my art can't speak. I have spent a lot of time traveling the world, especially Africa, to get very personal encounters with some of the most magnificent animals on the planet.
Going to the zoo to study an animal isn't an option I choose to consider. I want to the see these animals in THEIR habitat. It's because I have the utmost respect for them that I choose to travel great distances to witness them in their natural environment, and all of the high's and low's that come with that. One day I might witness the death of a beloved lion to the greedy hands of poachers, and the next day witness a brave elephant mother miraculously rescue her young calf from danger. These types of emotions are what I am after, and what I try to best portray in my artwork. I want the real deal in all its guts and glory.
“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. ”
— John Muir, famous late 19th century author and naturalist
“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.”
— Immanuel Kant, 18th century German philosopher considered to be a central figure in modern philosphy