EXPLORERS AGAINST EXTINCTION

               THE BIG ELEPHANT AUCTION

                         

                                                           'Wisdom'

It's wonderful to have the opportunity to participate in the Big Elephant Auction, a new fundraiser organised by Explorers Against Extinction in 2026

'An African elephant is poached for its ivory at a rate of one every 26 minutes, on average'. 

A shocking statistic from 2016 which is at the heart of the Sketch for Survival concept.

Explorers Against Extinction are a UK based conservation charity who started Sketch for Survival in 2017, a unique way for professional artists and celebrities to help support wildlife conservation projects around the world, by donating artwork which is then auctioned to raise funds.                                                                        

The auction runs throughout April 2026 and finishes on April 26th at 19.00 BST 

Find details at The Big Elephant Auction

My artwork is an original woodcut and is entitled 'Wisdom'. Elephants are known to be wise, intellegent, empathic and loyal. Their wrinkled skins have a practical purpose and clearly illustrate their tough and long lives, but somehow also show their sensitive natures. I wanted to try and capture both aspects with this piece and love the way that woodcuts have the woodgrain adding to the texture and mood.

As an artist who is inspired by the natural world and wildlife, it's a real privilege to be able to help support wildlife conservation in this way.

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.