I think that one of the key things about the whole Livingstone history is the context – so although I’ve given lots of explorer type books below, it’s good to find out a bit about the Victorian era he was born into (and the poverty of Scotland) and the frenetic period of the printing press, pamphlets, public gatherings & newspapers of this mad period of the post industrial revolution, with all the colonial influence, anti-slavery (1807 Wilberforce), exploration of new territories (RGS), new medicine and Christian missions (London Missionary Society).  Stirred by all of that and a the mills of Blantyre near Glasgow, who wouldn’t want to go forth into the unknown?  Was being a missionary in Africa the escape into travel that the rest of us did with our year off?

Here are some books that I think are worth reading if you want to learn more about Livingstone:

• Livingstone – Tim Jeal
• Stanley – Tim Jeal
• The Scramble For Africa by Thomas Pakenham
• The exploitation of East Africa – R Coupland

For the Kirk angle :-

• The Last Slave Market – Alistair Hazell
• The Physician and the Slave Trade – Daniel Liebowitz
• The Zambezi Journal and the letters of John Kirk, edited by R Foskett

Good roaring reads:-

• Into Africa: The Epic Adventures Of Stanley … Martin Dugard
• How I found Livingstone –  Henry Morton Stanley
• The Last Journals of David Livingstone by David Livingstone

For the wife’s perspective:-

• Wives of Fame: Mary Livingstone, Jenny Marx, Emma Darwin by Edna Healey

These are just a few – let me know if you have other suggestions!

If you live in the area, come and join us at Twycross Zoo next week for a full day of sketching and learning the techniques of a wildlife artist.

We first met Twycross keepers over in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, so we’re hoping for a nice hot African day next week.  Twycross Zoo is a world primate centre and is involved in many education and conservation projects. 

To find out how to reach the zoo, please visit Twycross Zoo and let us know in advance if you would like to join us.

Mountain Kingdom Art Safari to Swaziland March 2013

Thank you to Pat for sharing this splendid old bull elephant from her Swaziland sketchbook.

Thank you to Art Safari guest Linda for this wonderful painting from her Zambia sketchbook.

Join Art Safari at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for a day of sketching at Edinburgh Zoo on 16th August. 

We find that spending time observing zoo animals can really help speed up your reactions and increase your knowledge of each animal, making you faster and more accurate when drawing animals in the wild when you are out on safari.  You will be taught fast animal sketching techniques by Mary-Anne Bartlett and you will come away with sheets of drawings, scribbles and a mind overbrimming with ideas. 

Please contact us on info@artsafari.co.uk for booking details.

Fantastic to hear that the Art Safari group in India with artist John Threlfall have seen tiger this morning. They spent an awed 20 minutes with a huge male, it was a very overwhelming experience.

Let’s hope we’ll see some wonderful sketches from them.  Earlier this week they spent time with three young orphan tigers and were able to draw them, so all the more rewarding so see this large male this morning.  When you see your first full grown male tiger, you cannot believe the size, they are so impressive.  This one spent at least 20mins only metres away from the jeep.  Wow!  We can only imagine the tension.

Cape Fur Seals at Cape Cross in Namibia

By Art Safari guest Karen Joss from ’Rainbows in the dunes’ Namibia 2012 tour.

‘What a sight that was plus the lovely noises and not so lovely aroma!’

Show time again!  I love it!  A nice warm indoor weekend with outdoor-type people talking about travel non-stop!

I’m looking forward to seeing all of our adventure travel friends from all the other stands, people like the nice people at Travel Africa, Malawi Tourism, Kingdom of Swaziland, Exodus, Travel Jordan, Busanga Safaris, Wanderlust as well as all the guests!

If you’re coming, and need a ticket, then quote ‘ARTSAFARI’ on booking tickets at www.adventureshow.com or on 0871 230 7159 and you’ll get a £6 discount.

I wonder whether BBC wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan could be persuaded back to the Arctic to try to film his bear family during the winter months using the amazing new night camera technology from the rhino shots in ‘Africa’. Imagine the colours with the Northern Lights!