Artists for Painted Dogs

                                                                'Stained by the land'

This year Artists for Painted Dogs organised their second Autumn online exhibition and I was really delighted to have my mixed media artwork 'Stained by the land' selected. 

Artists will share their sales profits this year with the The Kalahari African Wild Dog Conservation Trust and Wildlife Act. The KWDCT is an organisation in Namibia dedicated to the conservation of African wild dogs, which are Namibia's most endangered large carnivore. They are dedicated to ensuring the survival of the species. Wildlife Act have conservation projects across South Africa.

My Artwork is a mixed media work created with woodcut printmaking and watercolour painting.

                                                             

                                                     SKETCH FOR SURVIVAL

                                                              'Watching'

I am thrilled and honoured to have been chosen as a finalist in Sketch for Survival's 2022 Wildlife100 exhibition collection. The exhibitions and final auction of donated artworks is organised by conservation charity Explorer's Against Extinction to raise funds for worldwide wildlife conservation projects.

My artwork of a tiger is an original mixed media work combining woodcut and watercolour mediums. I chose to depict a tiger as their numbers in the wild are still declining. This is despite the fact that they are perhaps the most recognisable of endangered animals and there are many tiger conservation programmes. Their reduction in numbers is due to loss of habitat caused by many consequences of human over population, as well as illegal poaching for traditional medicines and the wildlife 'exotic pet' trade.

The title of my work 'Watching' refers to the steady watchful gaze of the tiger and aims to explore visually the relationships between captivity and freedom, It also alludes to the complex issues around us watching captive animals and the tragic irony of a growing captive breeding programme not for conservation but to supply the illegal wildlife trade.

All the artworks exhibited by Sketch for Survival 2022 will be for sale by online auction which will finish on November 20th 2022.

Sketching wildlife.

Animals are still the favourite subject for my artwork. Although it can often be challenging to sketch them in the flesh, it's also very rewarding and helps you really understand the anatomy and character of your subject. It always pays to have a sketchbook on hand as you never know where and when you might get a chance.

Snoozing piglets in the home farm at Wimpole Hall 

I've never been on safari or had the opportunity to sketch wild animals in their natural habitat outside the UK, so taking photographs in wildlife parks is my only other option and it does often allow a closer view, which admittedly is useful when I want to see a lot of detail for making woodcut prints.

My lovely restored Albion Press for relief printing.

The conditions in wildlife parks and zoo's are greatly improved from those I remember seeing as a child in the 60's, but I still find it very sad to see wild animals in captivity. I hope to visit the Wild Place Project in Bristol soon, which aims to relocate all the animals from the old Bristol Zoo and offer bigger spaces that more closely reflect the animals' natural habitats whilst also increasing it's conservation work.

There are some fantastic conservation programmes nowadays and better enrichment for many animals, but it would be nice to imagine that one day we won't keep wild animals captive for our amusement or their survival.  

Experimenting

Lockdown gave me an opportunity to experiment with printmaking techniques and mixed medium work. I like the contrast of drawing and painting marks alongside printed surface, but it can be a delicate balance.

                                                              'Original Man' 

                                         Ink and pencil drawing and collagraph print

It was also a joy to document springtime in my garden and the local countryside in my sketchbooks and use different drawing mediums.