In 1928, Travis spent 8 months in Africa on a teaching sabbatical from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Travis' trip was sponsored by a number of Cleveland-area organizations, including The Gilpin Players of Karamu House, the African Art Sponsors, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Travis traveled from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt. His trip deeply impacted the style of his work, and his most famous paintings depict scenes of Africa. Travis' style is instantly recognizable for its bold, contrasting colors, geometric patterns, and stylized, abstract figures, all traits reminiscent of African art and textiles. In contrast to the many American artists of the period who painted regional scenes, Travis’ art often expressed emotion and the concerns of the 20th century — global colonization and exploitation, racism and inhumanity, and global apocalypse. Travis often used symbolic elements in his work to convey deeper meanings. This particular African scene, though done in bright colors, has a somber mood from the expressions of the animals depicted, possibly referring to global exploitation of natural resources.