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& Beyond: The Art and Adventures of Simon Combes - A Retrospective World Renowned Wildlife Artist and Adventurer Simon Combes 2006 Retrospective Africa & Beyond: The Art and Adventures of Simon Combes at The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum February 1, 2006 in Oradell, New Jersey Seymour, Connecticut - January 10, 2006 The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum will exhibit a retrospective of the work of wildlife artist Simon Combes this spring. This retrospective exhibition of paintings represents a cross-section of the artist's work encompassing more than two decades. When Simon Combes visited the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum in October 2004, he decided his art and the museum were a perfect match for an exhibition. Following his untimely death in Kenya only weeks later, Kat Combes, the artist's widow, asked the Blauvelt to host one of the venues in a retrospective tour of Simon Combes' works. Located
in an 1893 cedar shingle and turret style carriage house in Oradell,
NJ, the museum is one of only five museums in the United States
dedicated solely to wildlife art. The artistic genius of Simon Combes, evident in his portrayal of the majestic animals and native peoples of Africa as displayed in the galleries of the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, reflect his vision and incomparable talent. The sense of being present in the wilds of his beloved Kenya surrounded by animals which are alive and in motion, is both a beautiful and eerie reality. The viewer is carried into the environment in which each animal dwells, their unique coats and markings blending protectively into the landscape. Simon Combes' ability to bring these animals and their personalities to life helps the museum visitor appreciate the need to protect and preserve these treasures for the benefit of the entire world. Each of Simon Combes' paintings tells a story whether it's about an animal hunting its prey or the habits of one animal aiding another species in its survival or the indomitable spirit of the humans who live alongside the wild animals (and not always peacefully either). Marijane
Singer, Director of the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, explained "Africa
& Beyond is indeed a unique experience which will remain with
the exhibition visitor for many years to come." |
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| Memorial A memorial service and wake will be held in Kenya on the Delamere Estate on January 8, 2005. A memorial will also be held in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2005 in the Tewkesbury Abbey on Church Street in Gloucestershire. |
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| Contributions Combes was not only a man of the arts, but an avid conservationist as well. He was recently appointed Kenya representative and Project Director for the 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. Founded in 1985, the Rhino Rescue Trust raised sufficient money to build a solar-powered, poacher-and-rhino proof fence around the 80 kilometer perimeter of the Lake Nakuru National Park - a last ditch sanctuary for Kenya's dwindling rhino population. An active funds raiser for the Rhino Rescue Trust since its inception, Combes, was responsible for overseeing maintenance of the electric perimeter fencing and repair of vital boreholes (deep wells used to pump water for wildlife consumption) of Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya. At the time of his death, Combes was managing a workforce of eleven men who constantly maintain the fence, working in liaison with the park's Senior Warden. Combes was actively fundraising for the Rhino Rescue Trust with a short-term funding goal of $30,000 to drill a new borehole in the remaining one-quarter of the national park that does not currently have a water source. Through
the extraordinary achievements of the Rhino Rescue Trust, Lake
Nakuru National Park is now home to an estimated 45 White Rhinos
and 61 Black Rhinos. Founded in 1987, the park is now managed
by the Kenya Wildlife Service. In 1998, Rhino Rescue Trust raised
a further $829,000.00 by private donation to restore the fencing
that had been damaged by El Nino over the years.
By
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Safari
USA 2002 Video Join Simon on a seven-minute safari — from his home near the Abedere Mountains of Kenya to a preview of his 2002 United States tour. To view this film online, it is reccomended that you are using a high speed internet connection. You must also have QuickTime™ installed on your computer. If you do not have QuickTime, you can download it by clicking here. Low-Resolution
(2.25 MB) | Medium (5.38
MB) | High (15.3 MB) |
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The
London Times |
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| Adventurer,
Artist, Friend The world of Wildlife art has lost a great talent. Internationally known artist, Simon Combes passed away on Sunday, December 12, 2004 near his home in Nakuru, Kenya in Africa. Born in England in 1940, Combes moved at age six to a farm in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. He attended the Duke of York School in Nairobi. Combes lived many lives over 64 years. He managed a 2,000 acre farm in Kenya; attended the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, England; commanded Kenya’s parachute force; fought in a guerilla war against Somalia; and was assigned to train Uganda’s 4th KAR, which included the now-infamous Idi Amin– all of this before he dedicated himself full-time to painting. As an artist and adventurer, Combes called to mind Indiana Jones. He often said one of his life’s aims was “to gather no moss.” He was once lost in a blizzard while crossing the Altai Mountains in Mongolia, air-lifted into the jungles of Venezuela, and sketched Bengal tigers in India from a howdah atop a swaying elephant. As a photographic safari guide in Africa, Simon searched for inspirations for his next painting. His art portrayed the grace, power and the mystery of the wild with an exacting technique of capturing detail. He became best known for his stunning images of the landscapes and wildlife of his beloved Africa. He achieved worldwide success and won many fine art awards –including the Society of Animal Artist’s Award of Excellence. He was chosen “Artist of the Year for the 1994 Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show. His paintings hang in private and museum collections around the globe. The Greenwich Workshop, Inc. has published him in limited edition prints and canvases since 1979, and published two books on his paintings. Combes was not only a man of the arts, but an avid conservationist as well. He was recently appointed Kenya representative and Project Director for the 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. A Retrospective showing of Simon’s wildlife works was held at The Wildlife Experience museum in Parker, Colorado this past summer. The exhibition, Africa & Beyond: The Art and Adventures of Simon Combes (June 19 - October 3, 2004) was comprised of 71 paintings representing a cross-section of Simon’s work encompassing more than two decades. A 150-foot digital recreation of his painting, The Wildebeest Migration, forms a mural backdrop for the Africa Gallery at the Wildlife Experience Museum. Survivors
include: his wife, Kat Combes, son Guy Combes and daughter, Cindy
Combes, all of Kenya and his former wife, Susie Combes of Bushley,
United Kingdom.
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