The winners of the 2023 Wildlife Artist of the Year have now been announced. Enter our winners gallery, or scroll down to view all finalist artworks, and People’s Choice winners.
ARTWORK DESCRIPTION
Anisha’s watercolour painting aims to record the glorious lives of wild tigers as they would look in man’s faded and distant memory. Anisha prays that a time when wild tigers no longer exist will never come.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Anisha Heble celebrates the natural world through her art. She endeavours to capture the infinite beauty and energy of wildlife that is so fragile in today’s world. Anisha loves the fluidity and spontaneity of watercolou, along with the mastery required to control this medium to capture the undefined beauty of nature. After spending over 20 years in advertising and design, Anisha now dedicates herself entirely to her passions of wildlife and painting, and donates part of her earnings through art towards conservation and animal care. Anisha lives and works in Dubai.
A hunter, a mother, and a fearless protector. The lioness prowls, stealthy and graceful, amidst the shadows toward her prey. This was the inspiration for Gale More O’Ferrall’s sensitively rendered painting. Gale recalls that, as a Zimbabwean, she has spent time in close proximity with these wildcats and on becoming a mother herself grew a deep admiration for the maternal behaviour of the lioness.
Gale More-O’Ferrall is a full time professional representational artist who works mainly in oils and acrylics. Growing up in Zimbabwe, Gale went on to study fine arts at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Gale’s work is eclectically rich in subject matter and reflects her sincere appreciation of the people and places that have formed her life’s journey so far. She has been teaching internationally for 25 years and in 2011 moved to Vancouver where she has made her mark on the north American art scene.
In Katy Rundle’s colourful and creatively detailed mixed media piece ‘Essential Worker’, a white backed African vulture looks to the sky for his kettle. Katy was inspired by these magnificent birds whilst living in Kenya, although her reference photo was taken at the Hawk Conservancy in Andover, UK. Katy’s aim through her artwork is to highlight the critical importance and beauty of the African vulture.
Katy Rundle is a British contemporary textile artist. Her business was founded in 2017 and she creates her pieces from a studio in Hampshire, UK. Katy is best known for her vibrant embroidered textile collages. An exhibitor at Talos Art Galley and at art fairs, Katy is in demand as a creator of bespoke, original commissions and her work is collected on both sides of the Atlantic. Shortlisted for the Women United Art Prize in 2022, Katy was also selected to compete in Sky Arts ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ in 2018.
Lieze Meyer observes that we tend to be more aware of the big mammals that are facing extinction. With this oil painting on canvas Lieze wanted to highlight a lesser recognised member on the Critically Endangered List, the White Headed Vulture. Her dramatic composition contrasts the small vulture against the larger non-endangered marabou stork as the vulture fights for it’s rights, and Lieze hopes her painting will help to highlight it’s endangered status.
Lieze Meyer has a BA graphic design degree but has pursued painting in oils for the past 15 years. Lieze aims to capture a fleeting moment whilst telling a story through her art. Shape, movement and mood are all elements which drive her to create from her studio in the wilderness in Zambia where she currently lives. By creating these wildlife images, she strives to make her audience aware of the beauty hidden within the more unknown and not so often painted creatures of this planet.
The synergy of cultural and environmental narratives inspired Nickolaas Willems to create this large artwork. It represents the resilience and endurance of a Jewish family that found refuge within this tree during WW2. Nickolaas uses wood and fire (representing life and destruction) to burn and scrape his art pieces, using wooden panels as his canvas; heat and sandpaper as a brush of paint. This is part of a 20-tree series project, highlighting trees worldwide with their unique story and relevance.
Nickolaas Willems (1989) is a double educated Dutch artist. Working in a unique manner, within the representational field, Nickolaas uses the primitive medium of wood and fire to burn and scrape his art pieces into reality. A technique in which large wooden panels serve as his canvas, he utilises heat and sandpaper as paint. This time-intensive process requires extraordinary patience and focus by working with the natural lines of each wooden panel to create pieces that preserve the natural beauty of the material. Willems’ work explores themes of transience and time, reminding us of the impermanence of life while honouring the enduring beauty of the environment.
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.
Sarah Lake has created the shoebill stork ‘Abou’ by carefully hand cutting her from 8 sheets of A3 hammered paper. Sarah chose her illustration of a shoebill stork as she loves how different and prehistoric they look.
Sarah Lake is a self taught paper artist living in Kent. With a love of wildlife, most of her work is based on that theme. Every piece starts off with a photograph which is normally taken by Sarah, which she will then separate into layers. The more layers there are the more detail there will be in the final artwork. Each layer is then cut by hand using a scalpel. Sarah’s aim with each piece of her work is that it is indistinguishable at a distance from a regular picture, and only when seen up close does the viewer discover individual layers of paper.
Rhythm Ghai feels God has created an array of mesmerizing marine life and that it is the responsibility of mankind to conserve their natural habitat. Through her highly detailed and intricate drawing, Rhythm has aimed to create awareness and to help save these amazing sea creatures from becoming extinct.
Rhythm Ghai is a self taught artist from India. Rhythm works with a flair to create artworks which highlight the problems of global warming and animal extinction. She likes to work in black and white and in a variety of mediums. Taking part in a number of national and international exhibitions, Rhythm is keen to keep developing her creative skills. She believes that as an artist she is a teller of stories and that this is her creative journey.
Humans have long destroyed the homes of orangutans for their gain. In Ophelia Redpath’s oil painting we see an orangutan, faced with a chainsaw and leaving it well alone. Ophelia illustrates that never in a million years would the thought occur to an orangutan to topple a forest and its inhabitants.
Ophelia Redpath has followed a career as a painter since 1986. The subject and style of her work has evolved from abstract, experimental beginnings, to mixed media celebrations of humanity, now focusing entirely on questioning the broken links between human civilisation and the natural world. Ophelia’s current oil paintings express a mix of grief, optimism and humour, with an attempt to visualise how these links can be recognised and reinvigorated. Her book ‘The Lemur’s Tale’ was nominated for the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal, and Ophelia won Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year in 2021.
This creative sculpture by Camila Echavarria depicts a guayacan tree and huge ceibas surrounded by native birds. From whichever side the piece is viewed there are barcodes to be seen that transform into forest. Inspired by the works of Garcia Marquez, Camilla hopes to inspire appreciation of nature with a reminder to cherish the trees, birds and nature.
Camila Echavarria is a Colombian artist who draws inspiration from her profound connection to the vibrant jungles and diverse ecosystems of her native country. With a background in product design engineering, Camila explores materials and perspectives that bring art to life. Her works reflect the rich flora and fauna of Colombia, with a focus on plants, birds, and their interplay. Through merging opposing concepts, Camila creates nature-rooted art characterised by simplified shapes, repetitive patterns and Fibonacci principles. Her compositions are primarily black and white, punctuated by bursts of the tropical colours that attract birds. Celebrating resilience, Camila’s art transcends boundaries, capturing the essence of the Tropic and its cultural heritage.
Tamara Pokorny recalls how getting close to a ghost crab takes patience (and indeed sometimes a wet belly). However, her patience and sogginess paid off and she loves the way the evening sun made this little ghost crab’s shadow larger than life. Tamara considers her scratchboard and ink rendering to be an analogy reminding her about how small things can loom large, for both good or ill.
From iconic species to lesser known or even disliked ones, scratchboard artist Tamara Pokorny depicts animals in extraordinary detail, showcasing the beauty of the creatures that share the world with mankind. Tamara is inspired by the intricacies of a subject you can only see when looking closely, the way the sum of all the small things amount to, and shapes, the whole. Tamara observes that as we often don’t take time to look at detail, she invites the viewer to look a little closer and immerse themselves in a moment in time.
‘The Journey’ by Karen Laurence-Rowe, is a tribute to the dead and dying giraffe suffering the terrible drought in North Kenya. Whilst Karen’s painting, with its striking verdigris palette, looks to be abstract, on closer inspection there are various references to giraffe. Through this painting Karen sadly observes climate change is causing terrible suffering – and that wildlife will be the first to die.
A past winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year, Karen Laurence-Rowe has, for many years, used her art to raise funds for conservation, raising over £100,000 for conservation projects close to her heart throughout her career. Karen is a self-taught artist, mainly working in oil and watercolour to develop her unique style which has become much sought after by her art collectors. Karen has lived in Africa all her life and has watched her subjects dwindle exponentially as the human population grows. “It is a race against time to save the endangered species of the world but the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation is a good place to start!”
We are delighted to launch the 2023 online gallery, displaying all of the artwork that qualified for this year’s final. We invite you to peruse the finalist artworks, which are displayed below.
Painted onto copper and gold leaf, Malaurie Auliac’s work shows the beetle flying onwards, ready to face a huge and dangerous world. Malaurie has chosen to represent this vastness and danger by broken pieces of leaves.
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.
In Sarah Soward’s painting ‘Locked’ she recalls how, from opposite sides of the Kenyan savannah, these two kori bustards emerged as if by magic. Captivated, Sarah watched as they focused in on each other, gripped beaks, spinning and battling until one was finally determined the victor. This piece is an Oil painting on canvas (unframed).
Sarah Soward is a contemporary wildlife artist. One of her rhino paintings is scheduled to travel to the moon in 2024 as part of the Lunar Codex digital art capsule project. Sarah enjoys employing colour symbolism and story in her work.
In this chalk drawing on black paper which depicts a mother lioness carrying her precious cub, Mike Pickett’s aim is to demonstrate the unerring love and protection a mother lioness provides for her young cubs. Mike observes that lion populations are facing huge threats, and hopes this drawing will inspire lion conservation.
Mike Pickett is a self-taught artist with a passion for impact. His black and white themed art, with the occasional splash of colour, largely draws inspiration from the animal world to bring attention to the ever growing need to protect endangered species and their habitats from the threat of today’s society. Working in chalk, Mike’s attention to detail and use of light and shadow combines in a unique way to capture the essence and emotion of each animal, and portrays the vulnerability of their place in wildlife today.
With her pastel drawing Stella Mays wanted to blend the tiger into the wild Amur forest, rather than just create a portrait, and by doing so contrast the sparseness of the habitat with his mighty form. Stella felt that doing this would serve as a subtle reminder of the challenge a tiger faces maintaining prime condition in an ever disappearing territory.
Stella Mays is a self taught pastel artist. She has painted a wide range of subjects over the years and is increasingly motivated by a desire to create dynamic and original compositions which demonstrate a strong sense of colour. Stella’s fascination with the form and grace of her subjects is matched by a passion for the wild places they inhabit. She finds painting to be an escape from the congestion of the modern world but feels nature’s sanctuaries are today under threat. Communicating the wonder of these places and joining the fight to protect them are an integral part of Stella’s work.
Iryna Khort’s striking image shows the tufted titmouse soaring towards the viewer with fierce determination, as if summoning all its strength to shield us from the storm. When creating her painting Iryna felt that when shown against such a dramatic sky, the tufted titmouse represents the resilience we need to face life’s challenges, inspiring us to find our own path to safety and security.
Iryna Khort is a wildlife artist capturing the wonders of nature through vibrant oil paintings using the alla prima (‘at first attempt’) technique whereby wet paint is applied to wet paint, often producing work in one sitting. With over six years of dedication, her focus lies in portraying the natural world, drawing inspiration from birds, people, and the beauty of nature itself. Iryna’s art conveys the essence of freedom and boundless expression embodied by birds, reflecting a profound appreciation for life’s richness. Through her impressions, she brings delight to collectors and friends, fostering a deep appreciation for wildlife and motivating others to cherish and conserve our natural heritage.
This hyper realistic drawing by Rachael Porosa observes a lioness gazing over at the rest of the pride. As the cubs play with the male, she is keeping a watchful eye on proceedings. Rachael’s detailed piece demonstrates the naturally protective nature of the lioness.
Rachael Porosa is a portrait and wildlife artist based in South Devon. She discovered her talent for realism at aged 30 whilst working in forensic science, and subsequently left this career to pursue a life as a full time artist. Rachel strives to capture the tiniest of details in her work to faithfully express the reality of the subject. She believes realism in wildlife art helps to bring the viewer closer to the subject than they might ever get to be in real life.
Beverley closely watched the activities of Chacma baboons across Southern Africa and as a result she created this piece. This study of a baby and adult baboon shows wire at its most expressive, flowing between and uniting two forms. The sculpture demonstrates this closeness as a baby nonchalantly perches on its parent, who in turn accommodates the needs of them both.
Beverley has been wrangling wire into representations of wildlife for over 10 years. She lives in rural Kent amidst fruit orchards and vineyards. Beverley’s sculptures are created from a combination of upcycled and new wire of many different kinds. Each of her sculptures is unique and Beverley’s aim is to capture a fleeting pose, behaviour and character of her subject matter.
Robert Cook’s warm and detailed painting acknowledges the wonderful news that after over 600 years these majestic birds are once again nesting in the UK. Robert chose to paint this beautiful stork with backlight in order to bring out the subtle colours of it’s white feathers.
Careful observation, quality draughtsmanship and a strong sense of colour and design are key elements that come together in the creation of Robert Cook’s work which evokes atmosphere, depicts light and mood, and involves the viewer in a close encounter with his subject. Using traditional oil painting techniques, Robert builds up a detailed under-painting with transparent and opaque glazes that demonstrate the mastery of his chosen medium, and the understanding of his subject. His wildlife paintings have won him multiple awards as well as being successfully juried into the renowned ‘Birds in Art’ exhibition in America on several occasions.
Living in Africa allowed Capucine Minot to experience the strength and fragility of nature and wildlife all around her. In her monochrome drawing ‘Red Earth’, a viewpoint from space expresses the power of nature, with all it’s contrasts and extremes. Capucine feels that for local wildlife there are no boundaries, they live in a world only made of forest, mountains, rivers and waterfalls, as it should be.
Capucine Minot is a French artist who has lived in Cote D’Ivoire since 2017. In 2016, after five years working in luxury marketing, she decided to start over and dedicated her life to her art.
Clare Forgie’s aim in her mixed media piece ‘Burnt Out’ is to show the importance of the interconnectedness of the subject; the Sumatran orangutan and the rainforest. Clare feels the interconnectedness is symbolised by the way the paint flows between her subject matter; one cannot exist without the other.
Clare Forgie is a largely self-taught mixed media artist. Clare creates pictures of wildlife by splattering watercolour paint onto paper which she blows, allowing the paint to flow in whatever direction it chooses, taking on a life of its own. From this Clare then creates an image using coloured pencils. Clare tries to show through her paintings that in life we are all spiritually connected in some way.
Emma Price’s painting was inspired by heathland fires in Dorset. Commenting that haze is often associated with a state of mental confusion; fire, with destruction, Emma also observes that for millennia indigenous peoples used controlled burning to maintain and protect ecosystems, promoting biodiversity. It is her thought that we may need to reintroduce such practices, working with our natural world for survival.
A semi-abstract landscape painter working in oils, Emma Price’s paintings are influenced by her emotions and visual memories, primarily the natural landscapes within which she has lived and travelled. Her work depicts an abstraction, expressing an atmospheric ambience; much like viewing a literal landscape, Emma hopes her paintings reveal themselves more as the viewer allows themselves to become immersed within them.
Elsa Olander feels the conservation of wildlife is important for a number of reasons, including the survival of a balanced and abundant ecosystem. The cheetah was a healthy species but they have been starved as humans encroach on their forest habitat to make products such as paper. In this illustration Elsa shows how we, as humans, are destroying our wildlife and planet.
Elsa Olander is a Kenyan born African American artist in her artistic experimental stage who uses mixed media to create her artwork. Elsa is currently studying for her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the Penny Stamps School of Art and Design in Michigan and creates art for enjoyment and fun – it’s her happy place. She does however realise that her strongest voice must be used to spread awareness for issues such as the negative effects of poaching, the water crisis and social inequality.
Steve Nayar’s primary concern is to highlight the numerous species that need our help. Typically, his engaging painting ‘Chimpanzee’, depicts the subject staring out at the viewer. Steve observes that along with bonobos, chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, sharing about 99% of our DNA. It is a great worry for Steve that these creatures are facing extinction as the innocent victims of hunting for bushmeat, habitat loss and degradation.
Steve Nayar is a painter living and working in Totnes, Devon. He originally trained to be an art teacher at Nottingham Trent University but after graduating forged an award-winning career in design and advertising. Steve always had a love of animals and became increasingly concerned about the growing loss of the planet’s biodiversity. So much so that Steve has focused his work on creating realistic paintings of endangered species in oils, specifically head and shoulders, gazing out at the viewer, sometimes imploring, sometimes challenging. His paintings are in private collections in the UK and overseas.
Leonard Calonaci’s almost monochrome painting shows a pod of killer whales, recognisable by their white patches, on a hunting trip. Highly intelligent predators, orcas are known to work together when hunting, collaborating to create waves that can knock prey off ice and into the water. A pod of orcas can take down dolphins and even some large whales.
The irrepressible urge to create art was born in Leonardo Calonaci two years ago. Since this awakening, Leonardo has experienced a great sense of emotion and personal achievement every time he creates a work of art. Currently working in acrylics to paint wild animals, Leonardo finds this gives him a great sense of freedom.
‘Symbiosis’ by Olivier Bertrand is a monumental sculpture made from cardboard, bio epoxy and aqua based resin. Depicting a young girl and a tiger dancing together, Olivier’s aim is to symbolize, at the time of the anthropocene, the hope of the future where humanity and the animal world can coexist in harmony.
Olivier Bertrand was born in Marseille, from a French father and a Chinese mother. He became fascinated with drawing, visual arts and more specifically origami at a very early age. Olivier has always been captivated by the metamorphosis of a simple sheet of paper which, with a few smart folds, comes to life and sparks emotion. After graduating with a Masters in Economics, he finally chose to move into web marketing. Olivier took advantage of a period of convalescence to go back to his roots and by assembling bits of cardboard together he now creates extraordinarily amazing life-size animal sculptures.
This monochrome drawing by Garth Swift sees elephants grazing lethargically in stifling heat. Puffs of wind bring gathering clouds to the vast sky above, and with them the promise of much needed rain to the thirsty palm forest on the savannah plains.
Growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, Garth Swift was immersed in flora and fauna, and realised from an early age that he wanted to be an artist. After his schooling Garth studied fine art in South Africa, experimented with playing tennis, travelling the world before he finally settling into a life of creating wildlife art. Passionate about his subject, Garth wants very much to make a difference to in the public’s perception and understanding of wildlife and our planet’s delicate and fragile ecosystem.
Although not an endangered species in it’s own right, Steve Smith’s stark painting ‘Homeless’ depicts an Amazonian Tree Frog with it’s natural environment removed; a situation Steve feels we are frighteningly and inevitably to be heading towards.
Steve Smith (a.k.a. Smyth) is a self taught artist predominantly working in oil and pastel. Smyth is fascinated by the intricacies and beauty of wildlife and tries with his artworks to convey these aspects to the viewer by utilising painstaking detail.
Inspired by the social behaviour of Chacma baboons and the incredible bonds formed by their family units led Lindy Cullen to paint her tonal watercolour ‘Daily Rituals’. In her painting Lindy shows two baboons grooming each other, demonstrating the obvious closeness of their bond.
Lindy Cullen was born in Zimbabwe and has a passion for animals, particularly African wildlife. Her favourite medium is watercolour, in which Lindy endeavours to capture the humour and character (without doing a preliminary sketch) of the animal she is portraying. Lindy is an ardent advocate for the conservation of endangered species, and a need for mankind to protect and preserve.
Rendered in chalk on black paper, a very pensive and suspicious gorilla looks out of Mike Pickett’s powerful drawing. The gorilla appears to be pondering his future and wondering what lies ahead.
Polly Hosp’s stylised original print was inspired by the great migration. She observed, as the waters rose in the north and spread southwards, herds of plain’s game congregating and starting to move, staying ahead of the floodwater, searching for fresh grazing. Polly’s sensitive piece depicts how every year thousands of animals embark on a treacherous migration, with only the strongest surviving. In an edition of three, all with slight edition variants. Two unframed prints are available at £320. To purchase please contact us on [email protected] or 01483 272323.
Polly Hosp’s practice is built on a deep connection with the fragile natural world and a passion for the environment. She captures unique wildlife moments with a focus on animal behaviour, movement and storytelling. Building on memories of the Kent countryside, plus over a decade living in the heart of the African bush, Polly’s aim is to engage the viewer in big conservation issues through simple joyful imagery. Drawing is at the heart of her practice, and printmaking is how Polly brings her artwork to life. She believes that line is integral, but the process is all about expression.
Sandra Vick observed kittiwakes building amazing nests, precariously balanced on the brick ledges of the walls of Dunbar Castle, Scotland. Sandra recognises that a combination of climate change and fishing methods means kittiwakes are being pushed closer than ever to extinction and she feels need to protect this vulnerable bird. It was her intention through her monochrome painting to draw attention to the plight of this native bird.
In her studio based near the Pentlands and Edinburgh, Sandra Vick is well known for her black and white paintings of birds. Using only silhouettes, Sandra works in layers to capture moments in time and to capture to the essence of her subject matter.
The inspiration for the drawing was a special moment Alex exchanged with this beautiful primate. Alex was in awe of the orangutan’s formidable strength, juxtaposed with its soft pensive gaze, which comes across in this sensitive monochrome drawing.
Alex Fleming creates realistic art because he enjoys the challenge of it, and finds it very fulfilling to succeed in doing a subject justice as it stands. Alex might alter the odd thing in an artistic rendition, but it is always subtle, and rare. The real, natural world is immensely interesting to him already, so he leaves imagined alternatives to those more appreciative of them. Nature covers a gamut of size, colour, personality and beauty which Alex feels should be worthy of anyone’s attention. It is also constantly changing, largely for the worse, so he choses to donate a portion of all of his wildlife sales to animal charities.
Recognising that the polar bear is becoming more vulnerable, Jessica Lennox wanted to capture in her drawing not only the beauty of a polar bear, but also the breathtaking landscape in which she resides. It is Jessica’s sincere hope that this drawing will encourage people to do all they can to protect this remarkable animal and her home before it’s too late.
Jessica Lennox is a wildlife artist based in British Colombia, Canada. She specialises in highly detailed coloured pencil drawings of her subjects and, more recently, the environment in which they reside. Jessica wants the viewer to be able to feel the fur and to read the thoughts when looking into her subject’s eyes.
Having an almost mosaic-like quality, this painting by Paul Burgess is a reflection on his connection to nature and how it is experienced closer through the senses rather than the mind. Paul’s inspiration was his feeling that a scene like this beautiful woodland has a sense of vibrancy and mystery that is both fascinating and reassuring, a present-moment experience being both palpable and immediate.
Paul Burgess is a contemporary landscape artist whose unique semi-abstract style has become hugely popular with art lovers and collectors worldwide. The main inspiration for his work comes from the Wye Valley and surrounding area where he has lived and worked for most of his life. There is also a deeply personal aspect to his paintings which explores his interest in how all things in the natural world are inextricably connected.
Wildlife Artist of the Year
The DSWF’s People’s Choice Award received a record breaking 6,577 votes this year. After collating all the votes DSWF are delighted to share the top ten voted for artworks. We are delighted to announce the overall winner of People’s Choice Award goes to Amazonic Barcode Rainforest by Camila Echavarria.
In her painting ‘Love. Light. Wren.’ Priya Gore pays tribute to the abstract quality of change and the abstract illusion of the passage of time. She feels that the wrens speak of changes of season and the acceptance of changes in life with an open heart and open arms. The purple capped wren is one of the most illusive North Australian bird species.
Priya Gore observes how the Australian rainforests offer the abundance of natural wonder and how bush walks and coastal hikes replace the emptiness of the soul with a long-lasting creative energy. Priya’s life revolves around the exploration of nature’s intricacies that are often hidden in the obvious. Being in nature amongst the beautiful birds, animals and trees of the rainforest and the ocean has had a profound effect on the artist’s mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing. Priya tries to convey her deep love and passion towards nature through her practice of painting which she believes is impossible to express in any other form.
‘Likwena’, a highly detailed drawing by James Hitchen, offers the viewer a late afternoon glimpse of a Nile crocodile submerging itself into dark waters during the summer rainfall season. James’ intention was to capture this species in monochromatic shades to provide sharp detail, at the same time awakening the response to a predator in the artist’s home river, the Zambezi.
James Hitchins is a self-taught artist born in Zimbabwe and raised in Zambia. As a wildlife conservationist with Victoria Falls and the Zambezi river on his doorstep, James’ inspiration comes from the quiet moments in the African outdoors. Using either graphite or white chalk to create monchromatic images, James demonstrates his great love for wildlife.
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.
‘Ingwe’ in the language of Ndebele means leopard, one of Africa’s most endangered big cats, well known for their unpredictable character. An inspiration over the years for many designs, patterns and even famous songs such as ‘Ingwe Emabalabala’, the noble leopard is also the inspiration for Tichaoanan Ncube’s powerful painting ‘Vigilance’. Tich feels that the leopard depicted is warning intruders to stay well away! This piece is created using Oil and Acrylic paints on a box canvas (unframed).
Born in1986, Tich Ncube is a full time Zimbabwean wildlife and portrait artist. Following high school Tich pursued art as a career and was mentored by Sanele Dhlomo and the late Jimmy James Nkomo. Tich has sold his artwork both locally and internationally and many of his paintings have been collected by both art collectors and enthusiastic local tourists. Inspired by nature and Victoria Falls’ rich, world-class natural beauty, Tich feels that art has a distinct and subtle way of speaking to the soul, and when created carefully it provides a platform to communicate conservation messages without a struggle.
Camila Echavarria’s painting ‘Barcode Amazon Rainforest’ depicts two guayacan trees and huge ceibas surrounded by native birds, growing upwards from a barcode. Inspired by the works of Garcia Marquez, Camila hopes to inspire appreciation of nature with a reminder to cherish the trees, birds and other forms of nature. This piece is an Acrylic painting on a box canvas (unframed).
It was the innocence and expression shown in this Amur leopard cub that inspired Conor Smith create his highly detailed scratchboard piece ‘Big Yawn’. Conor felt that the expression of fatigue on the cub’s face was appropriate in showing the tiredness this cat will feel in the fight to live its life.
Conor Smith is a UK based artist who specialises in the medium of scratchboard. He uses sharp tools such as craft knives and tattoo needles to scratch away the top layer of indian ink, revealing the white clay board beneath. He strives to create interesting and photorealistic pieces that have strong contrast and dramatic lighting. Conor is a part-time artist, spending the majority of his time working as a paramedic for the NHS and studying for his Masters Degree in Advanced Clinical Practice.
