Art Safari - Art Safari: The Cheetah Republic, Namibia, February 2026

Namibia is the land of the cheetah - and we hope to sketch them several times, both in Damaraland and in Etosha.

One of the many highlights of this wide-ranging and exciting tour is that we stay at a Cheetah Conservation Fund conservancy which gives us time to observe rescue cheetahs and to draw them from life.  If the cats want to be drawn and stay with us for a short while, then this is an unforgettable experience.

We paint under huge blue African skies, capturing the reds, oranges and blue grey shadows of Sossusvlei Dunes.  These dunes tower 300m over a dry riverbed valley which now has oryx, springbok, ostrich and other wildlife.  It's as impressive as it gets for the African landscape painter.  

At the coast, we spend time with sea creatures, finding flamingos, sea lions, dolphins, cormorants, beach jackals and pelicans, and may paint a recent shipwreck too.  During a journey in Namibia your sketchbooks begin to swell with notes and knowledge of a desert culture. Namibia is a country which embraces its wild spaces and its wildlife wholeheartedly.

Inland at Etosha we sketch the colourful desert and saltpan, home to giraffe, rhino, elephant, lions, cheetah, oryx and eagles. We stay in comfort just outside the park, entering every day for amazing sightings.

Desert has many guises – each of which is liberating for the painter and Namibia's deserts are astonishingly varied.

Using our expert local knowledge we have tailor-made this experience taking you to sketch and explore breath-taking vistas by day, before retiring to stylish and comfortable lodges to relax, unwind and savour this artistic journey.

February is a particularly beautiful time to visit Namibia. The rains will have nurtured fresh green grass growth and wildflowers and cleared the air of dust. It’s also birthing season for many plains game so there will be plenty of cute baby animals around with their mothers. We could get the odd shower, but if we do we can expect dramatic cloud formations and spectacular sunsets to paint!

You can expect stylish and comfortable accommodation throughout, as well as expert guiding and knowledge both from our local eagle-eyed safari guide, and from Shelly who is an accomplished artist and seasoned Africa hand.

Namibia is a vast country and our trip involves driving through many deserts.  While the distances are great, the country has some of the finest roads in Africa; and its main roads (tarmac and gravel) are well maintained.  Drive times on this trip are moderate, typically between 3 and 4 hours between each destination, with the occasional 6-hour drive.

We will be travelling in specially modified safari vehicles which have six guest seats and are equipped with air-conditioning. The roof opens for game viewing and there is plenty of legroom and packing space.

Shelly loves to share her passion for wildlife, travel and conservation through teaching. She will take you though the stages of a drawing logically, helping you with line and tone, concentrating on details and understanding the whole setting. We focus on wildlife sketching from open vehicles and Shelly will tutor with demonstrations and some one-to-one tuition time. She will help you to develop your way of working, and observational techniques for drawing moving animals from life.

All activities done on tour are easy to moderate.