Wildlife Artist of the Year
Welcome to our Finalists’ gallery for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023. Our judges whittled over 1,400 pieces down to 157 for final exhibition, below are the shortlisted artworks and winners.
Please show your support for your favourite artist and artwork by voting in the DSWF People’s Choice Award below.
ARTWORK DESCRIPTION
The framed artwork has sold but these are additional unframed editions available for purchase.
On visiting Howletts, her local wild animal park, Cathryn Kuhfield discovered they had breeding programmes for many species of wildlife. Delighted to see their giant anteater had a baby she was able to make some sketches from the viewing window. This inspiration developed into Cathryn’s limited edition mono print representing ‘Motherhood’ in all its forms!
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Cathryn Kuhfeld is a painter and printmaker. She works extensively from the natural world with her main source of inspiration being the birds and beasts in and around her studio’s garden and its surrounding countryside. Cathryn will often take the opportunity to observe and work directly from wildlife she has rescued before she releases them back into the wild. Recently this has included a baby hedgehog, fancy pigeon and a jackdaw. Cathryn was captivated by a visit to a local wildlife safari park where they had a breeding programme for anteaters, this being her inspiration for a number of pieces.
Luke Broadbent is deeply saddened to see the devastation that man is causing to the majestic rhino. The message in Luke’s highly detailed, sensitive drawing is to demonstrate the animal’s beauty and he hopes that the more people that see his drawing, the more awareness can be raised in highlighting this devastation.
Luke Broadbent has an enormous passion for drawing, which began at a young age from watching his Grandad. Following in his Grandad’s footsteps, Luke became a self-taught hyper-realism pencil artist around 10 years ago. Luke has recently teamed up with Laziba Wildlife Reserve in South Africa to provide the reserve with a unique drawing and will continue to work with them in raising funds for the conservation and preservation of some of the world’s most endangered animals.
The inspiration for Tammy Walters’ colourful and striking painting, portraying two brave lions defending their pride, came from her missing the closeness of human connection during lockdown. She feels it is extremely worrying that there are now only 20,000 lions left in the wild and it is Tammy’s belief that we need to both protect and make people aware of the dwindling numbers of the mighty lion.
Based in Lancashire, UK, Tammy Walters is a modern contemporary British artist, who works predominantly in acrylic and ink and in a bold and illustrative painting style. Tammy’s artistic development has been strongly influenced by her passion for animals, her strong bond with her family, and by her love of music. Her work has sold internationally and Tammy has many collectors worldwide.
Sunlight travelling through water is a magical experience. In his large, ocean-hued acrylic on canvas painting ‘The Light Beneath’, Clive McBain has experimented to achieved the visual effect he desired. However, camouflaged by that magical light below is the less desirable, but equally magical, venomous Lionfish.
Clive McBain began painting in 1992 having retired from a successful career in advertising. Having studied Graphic Design at Brighton College of Art, on graduating he made the natural transition into working as a creative director. Clive paints only in acrylics and alternates between painting highly realistic studies to colourful contemporary images, one of which is seen here. Clive’s work has been featured on ITV’s Meridian Television, extensively in the Sussex press and he has had six solo exhibitions at Petworth House, West Sussex.
Nick Oneill’s mixed media piece was inspired by the vast amount of sea life layered onto a reef. Nick thought it made for a spectacular underwater city – mimicked by multiple layers of resin over a ground metal canvas and with the corals depicted in metal leaf. Nick finished this vibrant piece with wave effect resin to sparkle like the sea with light movement.
Nick Oneill is an award-winning British artist and scuba diver whose mesmerising portrayals of marine life sparkle like the oceans they represent. Driven by his passion for wildlife and his personal commitment to conservation he wants people to see the beauty that exists in nature in the hope it will inspire them to protect it. A combination of experience and experimentation has led Nick to develop a unique style of painting to best portray the light and life of the underwater world. Before becoming a professional wildlife artist, Nick enjoyed a successful career in the motorsport industry as a custom painter, and he still employs these skills and even some of the materials he used at that time, alongside more traditional painting techniques. Although best known for his signature black backgrounds, over the last few years Nick has been experimenting with tinted resins, covering the canvas completely to recreate the effect of the ocean’s surface. This pioneering technique adds a stunning reflective quality to the work which he sometimes highlights with both base and precious metal leaf.
Porcupines are the victim of increasingly active poaching. They are hunted for bezoars, which are lumps of undigested food found in their bowels and used in some traditional Asian medicines. Pascale has created her endearingly rotund bronze sculpture ‘Porkipic’ in the hope that he does not join the list of endangered species. Edition of 8. Only one available for sale.
Pascale Benéteau has always wanted to discover the world. As a young woman she decided to go to Africa, where she settled for few years. Later, her path led her to India and then on to Japan. It was in Japan that she discovered clay modelling which quickly became a passion. Self-taught, Pascale does not follow any particular trend, her years abroad influencing her mark and defining her style, which is very recognisable today. In 2022 she was awarded the Prize François Pompon for all of her work. Currently Pascale is living and working in Normandy.
Carroll Hutchings’ highly detailed drawing captures a moment of pure reflection as the pelican glides elegantly across the calm water. Carroll recalls how she loved drawing the detail in this mono pen and ink rendering, highlighted with pastels.
Carroll Hutchings is an adventurer and animal lover who is currently based between the UK and France, where she lives with her two Great Danes, Madison & Digby. Being very fortunate, her professional career took her all over the world, from Africa to the USA, but relegated her art to a personal hobby. Drawing again, she found inspiration from photographs taken whilst living in Africa and realising the increase in endangered species led her to establish ENDANGERED INKS in 2020. Carroll’s signature style uses pen and ink , more recently adding pastels as a mixed medium. Carroll uses a technique of wash, dots, dashes, scribbling and finishing with pastels to create unique works of art of which she calls her ‘INKS’.
Despite their ferocity and unpredictability, Cape buffalo always stick together in large herds as protection from predators. In this painting, George Davies depicts just a few members of a herd which can range from 50 to 500 in size, and has aimed to capture the evening light of East Africa whilst these buffalo grazed.
George is a 19-year-old oil painter from Chester who has been an aspiring wildlife artist from a very young age. Having tried various mediums including watercolour, gouache and acrylic, George had finally settled on using oil paints by the age of 9. Drawn to animals and the places they inhabit, both at home in the UK and abroad, George uses his own reference photos as well as those of his friends for inspiration.
Imogen Christian originally photographed this peacock on a day out with her family. Passionate about nature and enjoying walking in the countryside, she finds this and drawing really helps with her anxiety. Imogen drew on rich gem-like colours to create ‘Precious Peacocks’ in pastel pencils.
Imogen Christian is a Liverpool based artist who is passionate about nature and walking in the countryside with her camera to capture shots of local wildlife to be used as reference for her artwork. Imogen’s inspiration is taken from the beautiful surroundings of the Sefton coastline, and also Lunt Meadows and Rimrose Valley Country Park. At 17, Imogen is at the beginning of her career and is studying A-level art, photography and music. Her dream is to become an established wildlife artist, with the advantage of her mum’s support who is also a Liverpool artist. Imogen enjoys working in pastel pencils.
Malaurie Auliac’s peaceful and glowing piece is painted in acrylic on a gold leaf background. Malaurie’s painting depicts a very relaxed bear basking peacefully in the water, and it is her thought that the gilding makes you think of a honey bath… and we all know the love bears reputedly have for honey!
Malaurie Auliac’s work is a journey through the fauna that she paints in a naturalistic style. Her bestiary appears encrusted in the gold that covers the background to the majority or her paintings, so to venerate these often abused creatures. Her art is a subtle demonstration of ancient skills (Malaurie was initially a heritage restorer) applied to a contemporary creation which breathes life into her paintings. Malaurie sees her paintings as an invitation to contemplate the creature displayed and a chance to engage in a dialogue with them.
When creating his dramatic charcoal drawing, Cole Stirling’s aim was to capture the energy and unique hunting strategy of one of Africa’s most iconic birds, the secretary bird. By the striking crop and dynamic composition, Cole has illustrated the bird’s wings splayed for balance, and foot poised for impact. The secretary bird looks as serene as a ballet dancer, belying the skilful, efficient assassin about to deliver the telling blow!
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Cole Stirling’s passion for wildlife started at an early age. His earliest memories include early morning drives in his beloved Hwange National Park. Art came as a by-product and a way to express Cole’s passion. Studying photography at university, and later completing field and trails guide qualifications, allowed Cole to develop an even greater appreciation for the natural world and a desire to conserve it through his work. Drawn to monochrome imagery, especially the simplicity of focus on tone and form, this is a feature that Cole strives for in his work, and also something he finds to be quite handy as he is colour-blind!
Jacqueline Bright’s colourful drawing shows a kettle of vultures on the lookout for a potential meal. Jacqueline notes how she loves to watch birds in flight, and she thinks the way vultures wheel around in the sky, soaring effortlessly on the hot air currents, is very reminiscent of a slow, aerial dance.
Jacqueline Bright is a pastel artist living in Norfolk, UK. Jacqueline draws both pets and wildlife, her style being both traditional and realistic. A member of several artist associations, she very much enjoys the friendly art community that Norfolk is so well known for and she regularly takes part in local exhibitions, pop up shops and craft fairs, and donates artwork to local charities. Jacqueline is inspired by her rural setting and the abundance of fauna that surrounds her when painting wildlife, and she loves to create pet portraits for people to honour and memorialise their loved ones.
Tilia Holmes’ inspiration for her pyrography piece ‘Golden Hour’ came from a magical hour of light. A celebration of this beech tree, the viewer is invited to look up through the vastness of it’s branches and soak up the golden light. Each mark is burnt into the wood by hand, with golden fragments picked out in oil paints.
Tilia Holmes is a UK based artist and has exhibited her artwork across the country. She is represented by Dansel Gallery, which specialises in quality contemporary woodwork. Creating a window into forests and woodlands, Tilia celebrates the importance of trees and highlights their beauty by capturing the play of dappled light on leaves and branches using the ancient art form of pyrography. Using natural edged, sustainably sourced timber as a canvas, her process starts with an illustration burnt onto wood, where she creates tones and marks using different levels of heat, and then brings the piece alive with oil paint.
Nicolas Planson’s striking painting depicts a fight between splendid and powerful male oryx antelopes with their long slender horns. Winning this fight determines the male oryx’s right to reproduce and create new life. Nicolas feels these fights to be a symbol in which the elements of fire, water and earth all mingle together to express the perils threatening the forgotten world of animals.
Nicolas Planson is a self taught French artist who lives in Britain. His work is inspired by his belief that mankind is an integral part of nature and he is convinced that if we were to turn our back on the natural world this would have disastrous consequences. Conscious of the ecological debt that us humans owe, Nicolas has used his art platform for artivist engagement, hoping to stimulate a response to respect and protect the animal world we live in. His dynamic work elevates his subjects, highlighting their magnificence as well as their weakness, and it is his hope that by doing so mankind will start to reverse the anthropocene.
Family is imperative for a zebra to survive, and they live in the same family unit for many years, sometimes for life. If one zebra goes astray, the herd will spend many days looking for it. Inspired by this, Rachel Robinson’s sensitive monochrome drawing captures a beautiful bonding moment between two zebras to demonstrate the special connection they share.
Rachael is a self-taught, award-winning pencil artist specialising creating work in graphite and coloured pencil. Starting her journey in March 2020 when her daughter was only 6 weeks old, Rachael has only been drawing for 3 years. Prior to becoming an artist, Rachael was a Zookeeper for 6 years, working with a large range of animals. She has a strong love and passion for wildlife husbandry, research, and conservation. Rachael also teaches online tutorials to a growing list of people all over the world, sharing her time and knowledge to help others learn both of these mediums.
The work of Matteo Germano is based on his personal exploration into the power of visual communication that colour has in nature. His vivid oil painting on linen canvas portrays a brighly coloured jellyfish in a dark ocean, its rich red body warning perhaps of it’s stinging danger, its blue and lilac tentacles trailing gracefully behind.
Matteo is an Italian painter who works on naturalistic themes, with particular attention to the world of animals that have very bright colours. In fact, colour is the protagonist of his work, being a very powerful means of communication. The artistic technique used by Matteo is oil painting, because it is the one that best manages to render the extraordinary chromatic tones of the animals represented in the paintings. Matteo has participated in many nature-themed exhibitions and currently resides and continues his art career in Italy.
Commanding respect with a formidable reputation, the iconic Cape Buffalo is physically imposing, aggressive and dangerous; characteristics which both inspired and are echoed in the strong colours and bold brushstrokes of Emma Swifts’ powerful painting. Not many predators would challenge a buffalo in its prime, with those impressive horns stemming from a distinctive fused bone shield called a boss, yet here Emma portrays the symbiotic relationship it has with the red and yellow billed Oxpecker bird.
Emma Swift is an award-winning wildlife artist who works predominantly in oils. Combining vivid colours with bold brush strokes, alongside more intricate detail, Emma brings to life her passion for animals and birds. Wildlife is inextricably linked to its environment and other species and she uses colour to bring the subject and background together, reminding us how everything should be interconnected. Inspired by the natural world and the charities who strive to protect it, Emma is motivated to support vital conservation projects through the sales of her work.
Nathalie Daigle observes that skin is a sense organ, and as such is both a separator and a connector between self and others. In her abstract painting ‘Openness’, Nathalie depicts the elephant skin stretched out in a limitless sky, feeling this stands as an ‘openness’ to awaken our senses to life on earth and its interconnectedness.
Biology studies and scenic art emerged as Nathalie Daigle’s first interests, these two fields stemming from her deep love of nature and art. Creating has evolved into an expression of Nathalie’s inner connection to nature, in which she expresses life as being our common core. With close-ups of elephant skins that tell stories about how tightly connected our life cycles are, she demonstrates her exceptional sensitivity. As a wildlife lover and environmental artist, Nathalie’s artwork clearly asserts that the need for connection with the wild is part of human nature. She feels that to encounter the wild has an impact on mankind, that impact being humility.
Nick Jones sees icebergs as a powerful symbol of the sublimity and fragility of the natural world. In his serene painting Nick seeks to evoke something of this fragile beauty, whilst drawing attention to the adverse impact that humanity is having on the wellbeing of this extraordinary part of the world.
Nicholas Jones is a UK based painter whose work explores our relationship with the natural world. Nick’s paintings address themes of connection, vulnerability, intimacy, trust, longing, wonder and silence. His paintings are rooted in a deep desire to be more present to the endless encounters, both intimate and sublime, that come towards us when we step outdoors with hearts and eyes that are wide open. His iceberg paintings offer a haunting glimpse of the fragility and magnificence of the Arctic, a region of our world under immense stress because of global heating, and on whose wellbeing we all depend.
Sadie Aucott’s striking artwork captures the direct gaze of a infant gorilla clinging to his mother. Her use of selective and dynamic cropping heightens the strength of this connection and this piece is interwoven to create texture and capture the infant’s expression. This artwork is made entirely from silver and grey florist’s wire. It is Sadie’s hope that her art is successful in persuading a viewer to start seeing animals as sentient beings, and treating them accordingly.
Sadie Aucott is a wire artist who has developed a way of working with fine-gauge florist’s binding wire in order to create monochrome 2D images which combine her love of drawing and animals. Sadie is an award winning artist, having been awarded the Innovation Award at the 2018 In:Sight exhibition and The Emerging Artist award in the 2D category at Creates Gallery in Monmouth in 2020.
Schooling fish have always been a fascination for Alhaitham Jassar. This proved to be the inspiration for this oil on canvas painting. Alhaitham’s aim was to portray a group of sharks from a bottom to top view as they attacked a school of fish for their lunch.
Alhaitham Jassar is an American fine artist specialising in marine art, and is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists. His lifelong fascination with the aquatic world is intricately woven into his artistic talent. Through his work, Alhaitham aims to capture captivating moments of our underwater realm from unconventional perspectives, inviting viewers to revel in their awe and wonder. By doing so, he hopes to cultivate an appreciation for our endangered natural heritage, igniting awareness and action.
Painted using only three colours, Heather Irvine had no preconception of how her painting would look other than it would be bull elephants very subtlety conversing about something we cannot hear and can only speculate upon. Heather’s inspiration was her thought that there is nothing better than watching a group of elephants interact and being able to immerse yourself in their world.
Heather Irvine is a wildlife artist producing bold and bright mixed media artworks in an abstract realism style. She is most known for her portrayals of Painted Dogs and for her movement based pieces. Heather contributes to various conservation organisations through the sale of her work whenever she can. A shortlisted DSWF WAY finalist for over ten years, Heather won BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year in 2012, as well as exhibiting with EWA and SWLA.
‘Studio di Falena’ is a hauntingly elegant monochrome charcoal and graphite drawing by Rosanna Gaddoni. Creatures of the night, Rosanna finds she likes moths, as they keep her company while she works. She also sees in them some parallels with herself with their love for shadows, and attraction to head for the light.
Rosanna Gaddoni (b. 1972) is an Italian artist based in the Netherlands. Her work is a celebration of life, portraying the purity of animals and human beings. Rosanna’s art has been internationally exhibited and awarded. She has won Best Drawing, Best Animal & Birds, Third Place overall plus three Honourable Mentions in the PleinAir Salon, and multiple awards from the Portrait Society of America. An exhibitor at the RA summer exhibition 2022, Rosanna was also a finalist at Boldbrush, and at the 16th Renewal Center Salon. Her work is appreciated and collected worldwide.
In his insightful painting Andy observes that with age comes the wisdom that hopefully helps us make more sense of the world around us. Andy feels that perhaps things that seemed important in our younger years are now issues that cause us little concern or worry. It is his sincere hope that we can all one day live in harmony.
Andy Caddick is a self taught realism artist who specialises in the portrayal of some the world’s most beautiful animals. He is also one of very few UK artists who specialise in airbrush photo-realism. Working from his studio at home in the West Midlands, Andy has achieved success across mainstream galleries in the UK.
