Home Originals
Prints Cards Biography Links
Contacts
Lions roar in the night, the
scent of Africa wafts through the tent…The ground reverberates with the running of rhinos spooked by a footfall of man…A leopard
noses downward to meet her reflection in a quiet pool…Filtered sunlight plays on a gorilla gently cradling her baby. Fantasy?
Reality…for Esther Lidstrom.
Her life is colorful. The former educator and police officer has driven race cars, rappelled down rock-face and frequently tracks elephants, leopards and other exotic creatures. This avid explorer of the African bush succeeds in capturing the spirit of her subjects in lectures, writing, photography and art. Her musical slide presentations have been featured by the National Audubon Society and others. Her art has been exhibited at major museums throughout the United States including the Boston Museum of Science, Cleveland Museum of Natural History and National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, DC. It is also part of the decor at the famed Mount Kenya Safari Club in Africa. Esther, an elected member of the prestigious Society of Animal Artists, was honored with the Society’s coveted Award of Excellence for her painting “Elephant Charge” and is listed in Who’s Who in the East. Her work, sold internationally, has been utilized for conservation fundraising in the United States, Kenya, and the Republic of South Africa.
Focusing predominantly on African wildlife, Esther is a versatile artist whose skills range from the finest technical linework of scratchboard drawing, to the broader strokes of pastel and loose washes of water media. In her unconstrained washes, animals appear and disappear, much as they do in the wild. Areas of detail contrast with indefinite forms. “This”, says the artist “symbolizes the precariousness of their existence in today’s world.”
Love of nature, sensitivity and artistic skill have enabled her to capture the spirit of the natural world and share it with others. Some of her works are available as full-color prints on acid-free paper from Wildlife Impressions.
Artist News: Sept 2004 A Conservation Success Story
In September of 2004, Esther again took off for the wilds of Africa. She writes of her experiences and relives each safari through her sketches and photographs.
“From South Africa, I headed north to revisit Kenya’s Masai Mara in time to catch sight of the great migration. Before reaching the Mara River I had the good fortune of a rather special encounter. As we searched for a particular black rhino, my guide described her and I began to wonder if I’d met her before. I inquired accordingly.
In 1991 I’d “met” a young, orphaned female that roamed this territory under 24-hour guard. Her mother, Helema, had been killed by poachers; rangers became her protectors. My art had been auctioned several times by Friends of Conservation, an organization focusing much of its efforts in the Masai Mara. A major component of their support was the survival and protection of the black rhino. By way of FOC’s rhino-project director, I met with the rangers that summer of 1991. The danger faced by these individuals was evident as they pointed out the bullet hole in the windscreen of their Land Rover. I wondered how successful the rangers would be in protecting this young rhino.
Today, with the answer to each question my eagerness grew. The rhino we sought had been alone for thirteen years. Ideas of importing a male companion were considered. Before ideas could blossom into action, she was gone. I was told she traveled as far away as 100 kilometers. But her wanderlust had its reward - she found a “boyfriend”, brought him home to her territory and now has a baby of her own!
I was told this was the same rhino I’d “met” as a youngster thirteen years ago. At this time in our world, when so many animals teeter on the brink of extinction, I often feel that we, conservationists and supporters, are “spinning our wheels” in the fight to keep them surviving in the wild. It was a wonderful feeling to experience so personally, the joy of seeing the fruits of our collective labors.