Where Stripes & Reflected Sky Meet Zebra Paintings by Ilse de Villiers

Zebra Paintings by Ilse de Villiers 

Where Stripes & Reflected Sky Meet 

As an artist with a passion for creating large zebra paintings. If you have followed my work, you know that I love the challenge that comes with creating a 3D artwork on a flat surface, especially when it comes to zebra paintings. To me, no year is complete without taking on the task of creating a striped masterpiece.

Exactly why it challenges me so, is probably debatable, & in the end who cares? As long as I can create beautiful zebra paintings that make onlookers stare in wonder & amazement, I’m a happy artist!

The Inspiration Behind My Zebra Paintings

As a wildlife artist from South Africa, I am constantly inspired by the beauty of the natural world and the amazing wildlife that surround us.

When I set out to create a new zebra painting, I spend countless hours studying their patterns and movements, observing them in their natural habitats, and capturing their beauty in photographs. I use these photographs as reference material for my paintings, carefully considering every detail and making sure that each stroke of the brush captures the essence of the zebra.

My goal is to create zebra paintings that not only capture their beauty, but also convey the sense of movement and energy that is so inherent to these creatures. Whether it’s the way they move through the savanna, or the way they drink from a waterhole, I want my paintings to capture the spirit of the zebra and bring their beauty to life.

Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga burchellii) is a subspecies of the plains zebra named after British explorer William John Burchell. They are similar in size to most plains zebras, with males and females weighing between 230-320 kg and standing 1.1-1.4 m tall at the shoulder. They are characterized by bold, broad stripes on the head, neck, flanks and sparse stripes on the limbs that fade to white, with one or two shadow stripes in between the stripes on the haunch. Burchell’s zebra live in small family groups that can be either harem or bachelor groups and often gather in larger herds around food and water sources.

An Encounter with Zebras at the Waterhole

We had arrived at the Kruger National Park in August of 2021 and spent several days exploring the area, photographing various wildlife and searching for opportunities to capture images of zebras. Our patience paid off, as we finally stumbled upon a small herd of zebras approaching a waterhole. They were cautious, as there had been multiple sightings of lions and leopards in the area, but they eventually made their way down to drink.