Both works accepted into David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year

It’s a great moment when you open that long awaited email to find it starts with ‘Congratulations’. I’m delighted to say that not just one, but both works were accepted into the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year which will run from the 3rd-7th June in the Mall Galleries, London. It is an exhibition well worth visiting as it always beautifully hung, and represents the top working wildlife artists both in the UK and abroad.

Bison – charcoal on paper

The other bonus of selection into these competitions is the chance to catch up with so many colleagues at once. Painting, unless you’re based in a shared studio complex, is essentially a very solitary career, so the opportunity to attend a large gathering of artists is always a real treat. I know  Karen Laurence-Rowe has been accepted, and look forward to meeting her. I’m also pleased to see that Davina Bosanquet has asked to be one of the guest artists, after winning her category two years running. It’s the week before my solo exhibition opens with Oil & Water in London, so June will be a busy month!

Longleat

I was immensely honoured to be given access to the animals at Longleat Safari Park last week, going out with a keeper to see them being fed, and took many hundreds of photos. The staff there could not have been more accommodating, and their knowledge and understanding of their animals was extraordinary. I manage to obtain enough source material to keep me going for many months.

 



Tiger, Longleat

I have always wanted to do more wildlife painting, but have struggled to find animals to work from, normal zoo exhibits are either asleep or look so bored and spending several weeks a year photographing them in Africa isn’t really an option with two small children. The Longleat animals, in their vast acreage of paddocks, were incredibly fit, and very lively! A huge thanks to everyone who enabled my trip.

 

Male lion, Longleat