Acacia art is a great way to explore exotic places like Kenya and beyond—without having to go on safari! Acacia trees have long, curved thorns that resemble claws, and are used to make items like furniture, gum, medicine, perfume, and tannin. They grow in tropical, warm regions such as Australia, Africa, southern Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Their berries can be eaten, too!
Acacia trees were a subject for artist Vincent van Gogh’s acacia art piece titled “Acacia in Flowe.” The painting is oil-based and is a somewhat abstract rendering of the branches and leaves of an acacia tree. The leaves closely resemble ferns and fill the entire canvas with their lively green hues. Another popular acacia artist is Keith Mallett, who brings the trees to life in his prints “Acacia Sunrise I” and “Acacia Sunrise II.” Both works are made to look like batiks; they incorporate large acacia trees with African tribal patterns, zebra print, and rich shades of brown.
Other artists of acacia artwork produce photographs instead of paintings. One such artist is Danita Delimont, who teams up with other artists to create striking images of acacia trees. “Full Moon Rises Above Acacia Tree, Amboseli National Park, Kenya,” taken with artist Paul Souders, is a simple but beautiful print of the silhouettes of trees, with a brilliant full moon rising above a large acacia tree into a royal blue sky. In another photo, “Umbrella Thorn Acacia and Impala, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya,” Delimont and Adam Jones capture a pair of two impalas facing one another beside a lone acacia tree at sunset.
Artist Panoramic Images also takes photos of acacia trees for their acacia art prints. “Acacia trees on a landscape, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya” depicts an otherwise barren landscape against a bright blue sky; the landscape is dotted with massive acacia trees. Another image, “Camelthorn tree (Acacia erioloba) with mountains in the background, Brandberg Mountains, Damaraland, Namib Desert, Namibia,” shows the huge trunk of an acacia tree up close, with even bigger mountains filling the background.
