Thanks to our founder, David Shepherd, wildlife art is part of our DNA. Now, we enjoy close relationships with a collection of talented artists across the world.
Each of these highly skilled wildlife artists supports David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation in a variety of ways, from selling pieces that donate a profit to DSWF, to holding exhibitions that raise awareness about our work.
In addition to our Partner Artists, the DSWF team also works with Wildlife Art Ambassadors.
Read on for details of our Partner Artists and don’t forget to let them know you have been referred by DSWF to ensure any purchases you make will support wildlife conservation.
Martin Aveling’s passion for drawing was born out of his surroundings at a very young age. While his parents were working to conserve mountain gorillas on the steep forested slopes of the Virunga volcanoes, Martin picked up pencils and drew them. Martin strives for a clean, contemporary look to his artworks, celebrating the detail in his animal subjects. By manipulating the negative space, he creates hidden environments for them to live in. Through his drawings, Martin attempts to raise the profile of endangered wildlife around the world and generate support for its conservation.
Emma Bowring writes that “the natural world is an amazing thing, from the humble bee and its role in pollination to the fact that every time an African elephant takes a step, it creates a home for other animals as its footprint fills with water.” Emma connects with nature and wildlife through her artworks, which she sells to contribute funds to conservation charities.
Maria Floyd studied at Goldsmiths’ College, London. She is more often found working outside – making a direct and expressive response to the landscape, letting nature and the elements play their part in the work, and allowing wind and rain to make their mark. Studio pieces are an extension of these outside studies and maintain the energy and mood of the coastline or landscape. Expression and the power of nature are at the heart of her paintings, as well as a deep love of the Cornish coast.
Jos Haigh enjoys experimenting with unconventional colour combinations and creating the unexpected. She paints gentle elephants, haughty giraffes, or snorting rhinos in an array of vibrant and extraordinary colours, and strives to capture their charm in a fresh, contemporary style. She is an established artist and exhibits in galleries and art fairs throughout the UK.
Gary Hodges has been a valuable and enthusiastic judge for DSWF’s Wildlife Artist of the Year competition since its inception in 2008. Gary Hodges is the UK’s best-selling and most collectable pencil artist. Since 1987, he has published 135 different editions from his pencil drawings with all but ten sold out. His many thousands of admirers worldwide include Martina Navratilova, Virginia McKenna, Michaela Strachan, Kristin Davis, and Rula Lenska. Gary donated three very special prints to DSWF’s art shop. He spent six hours adding pencil strokes to each print to make them more dynamic and unique.
Catherine Ingleby initially worked as a portrait artist but soon returned to her preferred subject of animals. Her solid base of draughtsmanship has enabled her to develop her own, unique style. She has become recognised for her dynamic paintings of animals in movement, with bold use of colour and confident brushwork.
Alison Ingram is known for her unique interpretation of wildlife. Her abstract paintings use colour and design and are instantly recognisable and unforgettable.
She has been a finalist in the DSWF’s Wildlife Artist of the Year competition.
Christine Lamberth’s primary interest is in wildlife. Her more recent works are focussed on species in dire straits.
The use of monochrome imagery in Christine’s work lends a dramatic slant to the subject, highlighting the form. The choice to closely crop pieces draws the viewer to look into the eyes of the subject matter, enabling the image to confront and engage the viewer.
Karen Laurence-Rowe has lived in Africa all her life and currently resides in Kenya, where the extraordinary wildlife and landscapes continue to capture her imagination and fill the canvasses and surfaces she works on. An extremely versatile artist, Karen switches easily from oil on canvas to watercolour or pencil – she finds the joy and meets the challenge in whatever medium she chooses. Over the last few years, her work has reflected an interest in conservation, wildlife, and endangered species. Many of her paintings are donated or partly donated to conservation groups. Karen was the overall winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year in 2023 and 2012.
Sarah Lawson has had a lifelong fascination with the natural world. From a young age, she was inspired by nature to draw and paint wildlife. Entirely self-taught, Sarah now works solely in colour pencil, creating realistic wildlife and pet portraits. She has regularly been shortlisted for DSWF’s Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition.
Nick Mackman is an award-winning animal sculptor. Her work is held in private collections around the world and is prized for its striking intensity and personality. Her art is informed by her life-long love of animals. Through her work she actively supports wildlife conservation projects at home and abroad.
Suzie Marsh’s figurative animal sculptures have gained great acclaim over the last 30 years. Her work aims to reflect her own fascination with an animal’s character and her figurative style captures their form precisely. As an animal lover, Suzie produces work to aid several animal charities and donates part of her profits to them. Suzie works in clay and then produces finished sculptures in bronze, pewter, and resins – all of which are suitable for the home or garden.
Natalie Mascall is a self-taught, professional, award-winning wildlife artist with a huge passion for endangered animals and helping to preserve them. From an early age she wanted to be a vet but has found a way to give back to wildlife through her art. Very much in the spirit of our founder, David Shepherd, Natalie believes wildlife artists have a duty to raise awareness for the species that inspire them. Natalie is a massive fan of DSWF and has been a finalist in Wildlife Artist of the Year. Trading under Natalie Art, she works in pastel as well as charcoal and acrylic.
Born in London in 1973, Stella Mays has painted a wide range of subjects – although big cats have become a favourite. She is a self-taught artist and works in pastel. She is fascinated by the way light falls on a subject. Stella is fortunate to sell her work all over the world, often in support of conservation.
Nick is best known for his signature black backgrounds. In recent years, he has been experimenting with base and precious metals, giving his pieces ocean-like reflection qualities. Combined with the use of high gloss art resin, Nick’s latest works shine and sparkle like the oceans they represent. In 2016, he developed a technique to partially cover the canvas with tinted resins to create a never-before-seen water surface effect in his ‘Split Level’ series. Nick’s stunning works have been highly acclaimed by collectors and the Press. He is a master of the Wildlife Artist of the Year’s Into The Blue category, winning in 2016. His work was also highly commended in 2012, 2014, and 2015.
The essence of the art of Jeremy Paul is the accurate portrayal of wildlife in its environment. Jeremy has travelled extensively, and his work has been used on postage stamps. He has exhibited in the prestigious ‘Birds in Art’ in the United States, and is in the collection of ‘Nature in Art’ at Gloucester National Exhibition of Wildlife Art. He has also been a Wildlife Artist of the Year Category Winner on several occasions.
Stephen Rew studied illustration at Swansea Metropolitan University, where his tutors guided him on the art of colour, painting, and storytelling. Numerous trips to Africa’s KwaZulu Natal and India’s Ranthambore National Park have been the foundation of his art career; through the lens of his camera, he studies wild animals – later sketching his findings using coffee and ink to bring the animals’ spirits to life. These exploratory studies have undoubtedly become the foundation for his three-dimensional Damascus steel and bronze sculptures. In 2019, Stephen won Wildlife Artist of the Year. This accolade has driven Stephen to work harder than ever in the pursuit of making a positive change to the fate of the animals that inspire him.
Julie Rhodes was born in Surrey in the late seventies. After studying for four years at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design, she has worked as a professional wildlife pencil artist for over 20 years. Julie works solely in pencil, creating highly detailed, black and white drawings and prints, predominantly of wildlife and beach life. Julie has worked with many charities, including DSWF, producing wildlife drawings and prints to raise funds and awareness. She has won many awards and was shortlisted for our Wildlife Artist of the Year competition in 2011.
Both author and artist, Tanya Russell is well known for her vibrant animal sculptures. Tanya apprenticed for seven years with her parents – sculptors Lorne McKean FRBS, and Edwin Russell FRBS. While practicing as a sculptor, she founded the Art Academy in London Bridge, now a degree validated and thriving art school. Many of Tanya’s animal sculptures have been sold to raise money for animal and welfare charities; others have been commissioned by companies and individuals. Tanya has created a new range of small animal sculptures and relationship pieces that aim to express her respect for animals great and small.
Kenyan born Priya Shah originally gained a degree in textiles at the University of Southampton. Years later, having worked in a bronze foundry, she started painting full-time. Priya has been shortlisted twice for Wildlife Artist of the Year. On the back of her success at Wildlife Artist of the Year, Priya returned to her textile roots and started creating ‘wearable art’ through her clothing brand Mia Kora, which sells beautiful silk scarves and shawls embodying her artwork.
Hazel Soan is a British artist working out of studios in London and Cape Town, and on location throughout the world. She paints in watercolour and oil and is known particularly for her direct wet-into-wet watercolour approach, and her use of rich pigment and strong contrasts of light and shade. Figures, African wildlife, and action are the main source of reference.
Establishing himself internationally as a world-leading wildlife artist, Jonathan Truss’s paintings hang in collections around the world from Botswana to Beverley Hills. He has had countless exhibitions in New York, London, Los Angeles, Zambia, and Kenya. He was also a featured artist with P&O and Cunard Cruises between 2011-2017. Supporting the conservation of many endangered species, he has raised thousands of pounds for wildlife. In 2016, he painted a record-breaking life-size big tusker elephant in oils on canvas. He is also a five time finalist of Wildlife Artist of the Year.
Julie Wilson is an animal sculptor who lives and works in rural Leicestershire. Several trips to Kenya inspired her African pieces, although her sculptures range from penguins to Himalayan snow leopards. All her pieces are highly detailed, textured, and very natural. They are made from coarse stoneware clay using slab building techniques, and hand-finished using slips and oxides. View them here.
