Artist, chronicler, and part Indiana Jones, Simon Combes leads a life of adventure. Born in England and raised on an 800-acre farm in Kenya, Combes’ adventures include managing a 2,000-acre farm, fighting a guerilla war with Somalia, and training Uganda’s infamous Idi Amin -- all of this before he dedicated himself to becoming a full-time artist. Combes learned to draw while on duty in the northern desert and was invited in 1969 to stage an exhibition in Nairobi’s New Stanley Art Gallery. Five years following that show’s great success, Combes was permitted to leave the army, so he set out on a more creative career.

Since then, he has become best known for his stunning images of the landscapes and wildlife of his beloved Africa. Combes is not only a man of art but also letters. He is a delightfully entertaining chronicler of his travels. His recent pursuit of painting the elusive and endangered “great cats” of the world led him to the plains, jungles, and snow-covered landscapes of Africa, South America, North America, and Asia and resulted in a stunning series of limited edition fine art prints and the publication of Great Cats: Stories and Art from a World Traveller. Combes has also begun to paint North American wildlife in between his regular visits to his home in Kenya.

Simon was chosen “Artist of the Year” by the Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show in 1994, has received the Society of Animal Artists’ Award of Excellence and has raised thousands of dollars for conservation including the Friends of Conservation, whose patron is Prince Charles. His works are in private collections world-wide.

Idaho and Kenya

Published by
The Greenwich Workshop
since 1980

Preferred medium: oil

Eyes of Warning

“I hope my art brings attention to the beauty of wildlife -- especially African wildlife -- but also makes people aware of how precious it is and that we all must do our part in preserving it. My plans? Keep painting animals, especially those in danger of extinction. Do anything tht involves travel and adventure. Don’t gather moss.”

Wildlife