2023 Collection
John Banovich 2023 Collection
John Banovich 2023 Collection
“There is no great nobility in creating a painting…If I am going to be remembered for anything, I hope it is as a person who inspired people to realize how important wildlife is.”
John Banovich
A Personal Message from John Banovich
Dear Friends,
My vision for this year's collection was solidified on the way back to the USA from my fourth trip to Africa in 13 months. I once again felt that coveted sense of total freedom since COVID restrictions have eased and African travel is once again safe and unencumbered. My family has joined me three times in the last few years, and I am forever grateful that they continue share a love for this continent nearly as deep as my own. As you will see in this year's collection the strong bond of family runs deep within my soul and is expressed through the paintings.
For decades safaris have been about re-connecting myself to the wildlife and wild lands and sharing that with the world through my paintings. Today that purpose is as true as the day I first set foot on the dark continent but NOW a Safari is also about family, connecting us to what really matters. I was reminded of this in June when my wife Amy, and our two daughters traveled to Africa with 30 of our close friends and their families. There was no greater joy for me than to share Africa’s ancient rhythms and extreme beasts with family and friends and know that Africa seized our souls and a part of us all will remain there forever. As my daughters will attest, a safari is not just a place you go to, but rather it is a state of mind. A space where we disconnect and then reawaken to what really matters. When designed well, you will come face to face with yourself along the way.
Just being on safari makes a profound difference for the people and animals that call Africa home. Our wild places are under extreme pressure to remain suitable habitat for wild animals to thrive, but with our support of important public/private partnerships we are able to help protect keystone African landscapes. The mission of our brand, Banovich Fine Art, Wildscapes Travel and our Banovich Wildscapes Foundation is to conserve wildlife and wild places through coexistence and understanding that the animals that live there can be an economic asset to the people who live among them. Safari is conservation at its core.
I invite you to experience the “journeys of an artist” with your family and friends through my paintings or on one of our custom safaris and discover your own self in the process.
John Banovich
Art must accomplish something beyond its mere existence – the art is not the objective. For me it is the ultimate conduit to share the drama and magic of the natural world and to leave a greater appreciation for wildlife and wild places.
We invite you to view the 2023 Collection below.
John Banovich, BOSS, 2022, oil on Belgian linen, 46h x 50w in
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John Banovich
Bugle, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
9h x 12w in
22.86h x 30.48w cm
JBO1180
$ 6,500.00
There is something magical about a bull elk bugling in the crisp air of dawn. It echoes though-out the valley and raises the hairs across my neck, as it is a sound I have heard since I was a young boy on those early morning hunting trips with my dad in the mountains of Montana. A truly iconic sound that is everlasting.
John Banovich
BOSS, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
46h x 50w in
116.84h x 127w cm
JBO1183
$56,500
That distinguishing feature, “the deadliest mustache in the world”, is a well-groomed, perfectly curled mustache shape known as a “boss” on male Cape buffalos. The horns on males come so close together that they fuse, and creates a shield on their heads. Generally, the larger and thicker the horns of adult buffalo males belong to higher-ranked individuals.
I particularly liked this old male spotted in Tanzania off the beaten path with his weathered and chiseled face revealing a strong character. The “BOSS” is that old male standing proudly and fearlessly against any predator.
John Banovich
Autumn Royal, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
12h x 16w in
30.48h x 40.64w cm
JBO1184
$ 11,500.00
There are few things that make me think of wilderness more than the bugling of a bull elk. And a day spent sketching elk, following tracks in fresh snow, or even sitting in the woods and watching the natural world unfold to our primordial past can be as beautiful as time spent in a cathedral. When the aspen trees reach their peak color in early October the fall colors in the Rocky Mountains not only signal that winter is near, but also the fall rut for elk. For me, the love of hearing elk sounds echo throughout the mountains inspires this painting. No other animal in North America sounds quite like it, and the different cadences are extraordinary - a “royal” sighting indeed.
John Banovich
The Little Things, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
15h x 17w in
38.10h x 43.18w cm
JBO1192
$ 14,000.00
IN PROGRESS
Life is made up of fluttering moments, and when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at can change. We rarely consider the changes a butterfly goes through, and the beauty that comes from that transformation. The forest is composed of many “little things". Each peice playing their part in the larger world. The leaf, the butterfly, and the hillside all comprise the forest’s composite character. And sometimes the smallest pieces are the most alluring. Appreciating the little things in life means that you focus your attention on what nurtures and sustains you in life.
My paintings are way of feeling, and when those feelings are captured on canvas, long after the memories have faded, I become more conscious of the very small things that can evoke joy and beauty.
John Banovich
Land of Elephants, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
18h x 32w in
45.72h x 81.28w cm
JBO1182
$ 30,000.00
An iconic symbol of Africa’s wildlife. Elephants spend their lives in an extended family group that is headed by a matriarch, typically the oldest female, who serves as the central holder of history and knowledge.
As this elephant herd makes their way to water across the vast plain below Mt. Kilimanjaro, this family group senses danger in the distance. Forming a defensive shield around the young calves while the old matriarch rises her trunk to read the winds and determine the risk. Communication among elephants is varied and continuous. They produce sounds at frequencies below the range of human hearing, and these infrasonic messages can travel over great distances through the ground as well as the air, enabling families several kilometers apart, out of range of sight or smell, to track each other’s movements and condition. Elephants sense these sounds through their feet as well as hearing them, and much of the communication seems to be an attempt to convey reassurance and connectedness.
John Banovich
One Of Those Days, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
16h x 14w in
40.64h x 35.56w cm
JBO1194
$ 12,000.00
Parenting doesn’t stop, even when you’re at your wit’s end. And mastering the art of patience is something we can all relate to. Even in my art, patience enables me to develop, grow and mature as an artist as well as being a father of two girls.
Gorilla mothers have very strong bonds with their infants, and provide complete care for them during their first few years, starting with carrying them everywhere against their chest, and then later having them ride on their backs. Of course, this takes a lot of extra energy in traveling with their groups every day, in addition to feeding the nursing youngsters. Compared to humans, gorilla moms rarely allow other group members to handle or carry the infant, though sometimes we do see other individuals in a group lending a hand.
John Banovich
Promise Of A New Day, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
11h x 14w in
27.94h x 35.56w cm
JBO1190
$ 9,400.00
As a wildlife artist, it’s my challenge and thrill to capture leopards on canvas in such a way that the viewer is captivated by this beautiful cat’s complexity and place in nature.
Newborn leopards are extremely vulnerable and rely entirely on mom for nourishment and protection. They are born blind, opening their eyes at around 10 days of age, and weigh only 1 pound. Mom carries the cubs to a new location every couple of days to ensure they are hidden from potential predators. It's not about denying reality; life is hard. This mother nurtures her one remaining cub after a devastation lost of her other cubs to predators. It’s knowing that we can depend and draw on our mother’s for solutions to life’s hardships. When we are weak, she makes us strong for another day.
John Banovich
Cape Buffalo, 2010
Graphite on watercolor paper
10.50h x 13.25w in
26.67h x 33.66w cm
JBO1131
$ 5,000.00
I always advocate that artists should “draw from life” because you learn more about your subject in a few moments than any other way. While on safari, I spend considerable time drawing these amazing beasts, later using the thumbnails to recreate the finished sketch.
John Banovich
New Dawn, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
9h x 12w in
22.86h x 30.48w cm
JBO1191
$ 6,500.00
Few animals on Earth command more respect than the rhinoceros. With its horned head, bulky body, and thundering gait, it is truly a masterpiece of its world. White rhinos are the most social of the 5 species, and mothers with calves will often group together for increased protection and socialization. While rhinos may grow up to be tanks, they make excellent mothers. As a new dawn approaches for this calf to set out on a new path without his mother, they reflect at the waters edge in these last fleeting moments.
John Banovich
Silverback in Bamboo, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
11h x 14w in
27.94h x 35.56w cm
JBO1193
$ 9,300.00
IN PROGRESS
John Banovich
Bull In The Aspens, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
11h x 14w in
27.94h x 35.56w cm
Framed: 17.50h x 20.50w in
44.45h x 52.07w cm
JBO1157
$ 9,400.00
The days are warm and sunny and the nights are cool. The cooler temperatures at night paint the mountains with brilliant splashes of color as the aspen leaves begin to change and an eerie sound echoes across the meadows. The sound of bull elks signaling the beginning of the rut, and the breeze causing the leaves to tremble with a rustling sound. Beneath the white outer bark of the aspen is a thin green layer that allows the plant to synthesize sugars and keep growing even during the winter. This green layer of the bark makes it a survival food for elk during hard winters, and leaves dark scars on the lower part of aspen trees where the elk feed.
John Banovich
Tiger Sketch, 2020
Pencil
10h x 11w in
25.40h x 27.94w cm
Framed: 18.50h x 19.50w in
46.99h x 49.53w cm
JBO1090
$ 3,500.00
To be sold at the 2023 51st Annual Hunters' Convention in Nashville for the Beretta & SCIF Foundation Conservation Leadership Award Gala February 21, 2023
Sundowners II, 2022
oil on Belgian linen
30h x 48w in
76.20h x 121.92w cm
JBO1181
$ 60,000.00
Zebra are one of Africa’s most iconic animal. This herd has come to the waters edge right before sundown with a cautious approach as they are posed to dart off at any smell, sight or sounds of danger, while the Oxpecker’s act as lookouts in exchange for access to their insect meals.
Compositionally with the horizon line low, so as if you were at the water level, I placed the only zebra with his head up looking straight at you in the center of the scene. This gives balance to the left and right of the painting and increases the tension for the viewer. I also left the background impressionistic and colorful and then slipped some of these colors into the zebra giving their black and white forms more life.
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John Banovich, Under a Wolf Moon, 2022, oil on Belgian linen, 44h x 100w in SOLD
Diversifying your investments isn't just about wisely balancing your portfolio between stocks and bonds. Alternative assets such as fine art have a place in your portfolio as well.
PRIOR PAINTINGS
We are pleased to offer two prior paintings for sale at the shows this year. Over the last decade we have provided an art consulting and resale service to clients whose lives are changing. With decades of experience we assist in the valuation, advisement and placement of art in private and public collections or in some recent instances, raising funds for vital projects we support in Africa through our Banovich Wildscapes Foundation. It has been our pleasure to assure clients that their investment in John Banovich originals is preserved, should their life or purpose change.
John Banovich
The Pod
oil on Belgian linen
30h x 40w in
76.20h x 101.60w cm
JBO1172
$ 45,000
John Banovich, The Pod, DETAIL
They kill more people than any other animal in Africa. This documented fact was all I could think about as we tried to slip by a large bull hippo in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The bull eyed our narrow makoro with suspicious irritation – he could explode into rage at any moment. “Do not make any sudden movements,” our guide said softly. The Botswana bushman punting us along slowly kept vigilant watch on the bull. I glanced to the front of the boat just in time to see a giant spider web looming in our path. Right then, the web’s big, ivory owner executed a perfect half gainer right into the boat. He was after me. I could see it in his eyes. As I sprung from the arachnid’s killer path, the vessel’s weight shifted and the hippo’s tolerance shattered. He lunged at us with such brute power and fury it must have terrified the spider into jumping ship. With a pole-vaulter’s precision, our bushman punter swept our small makoro past the raging beast to the other side of the lagoon. I hadn’t been reprimanded like that since Brother Ford caught me misbehaving at Butte Central Catholic High School. Our guide obviously hadn’t seen the size of that spider.
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John Banovich
Silent Stalk
oil on Belgian linen
16h x 20w in
40.64h x 50.80w cm
JBO1174
$ 18,000
John Banovich, Silent Stalk DETAIL
There is no animal on earth that can move as silently as cat. They know how to distribute their weight on their soft pads to move ever so silently through the dry, first crust of snow. The American mountain lion, or cougar, is perfectly adapted to any environment it lives in. From the jungles of South and Central America to the Deserts of Mexico and the southwestern United States to the Northern Rocky mountains it is one of the most versatile cats on earth. They are super athletes and can jump over 18 feet and take down prey 5 times their weight. They are solitary hunters, so in order to survive they must master the skill of the “Silent Stalk”.
Private Commission 2022
I started with a desire to pay homage to a diverse habitat and ecologically rich area. With a palette of fall colors to capture the juxtaposition of the bold autumn foliage accented by the delicacy of the individual leaves I began a truly monumental journey.
“I start with developing a compelling composition, where your emotional strength as an artist must reside.”
Created as a pair for a private commission, in both scenes the perspective of the Aspen I & Aspen II paintings depict aspen groves from an eye-level point of view and lead the eye up as if the viewer is walking into and through a grove of aspens. The style is a loose impressionistic with an impasto technique, creating thick texture and a three-dimensional appearance. Visible brushstrokes create highlights and shadows and visual space.
John Banovich, Aspen I, oil on Belgian linen, 209h x 100w in & John Banovich, Aspen II, oil on Belgian linen, 209h x 100w in
