I fell in love with Africa, especially the wild side when I lived there. Although it is many years since I lived there, it left such an impression that I continue to use elements of Africa in many of my paintings today. I like to focus on their joy, which always delighted me.
My inspiration for this painting came from the plight of so many animals related to climate change. Using the symbolism of hot air balloons, which float precariously in the fragile atmosphere. The animals in the painting are endangered, some heading towards extinction. I perceive them as rising up, heavenward, disappearing from view until they become nothing but a memory. The baskets and balloons are man-made, just like climate change.