I am an award winnning wildlife conservation artist and educator producing vibrant, contemporary paintings of cats and other wildlife. With each painting, I strive to create a moment of pause between viewer, animal, and the divine. I am also passionate about encouraging others to build a more positive relationship with their creativity.
After stepping away from watercolours in 2023, I am now working exclusively in oils. I particularly enjoy working alla prima, where I can experiment with light and convey the energy I approach each piece with through dynamic brushstrokes. I also create fantasy crochet sculptures and lore at The Woollen Otherworld on Facebook, Tik Tok, and Instagram.
About me
the art
Underlying each of my works is a personal story of not only the animals depicted, but also my own incredibly complex and intense connection to the natural world. My art combines contemporary understandings of wildlife ecology, my own personal experiences working with animals, and my intense emotional connection to the natural world as an autistic person. Not only this, but at it's core the gesture of painting is an extension of my spiritual practice as a Kemetic (or Egyptian) pagan. The act of rendering an individual permenant in paint serves a functional purpose: the final painting is a vessel for that animals divine spirit and, aided by specific choices of colour and shape convey a story to the viewer, the gods, and the ka of the animal itself. A golden symbol loosley depicting the Uraeus signs each of my paintings from 2022 onwards; conferring protection over and reiterating the divinity of the individual depicted. To all intents and purposes, my art is a representation of my apotheosis of wildlife on both a spiritual and scientific level. With every piece I share, I aim to honour the individual animal I paint, inspire the viewer to connect with them, and educate about value of ecological stability.
the artist
Although I am now a full time creative, my background is actually in wildlife conservation and I have no formal training in the arts. While studying for my BSc Animal Behaviour and PGDip Zoo conservation biology I specialised in wild cat behaviour and, eventually, comparative anatomy. I have experience working with cats and other animals as a zookeeper, behavioural researcher, museum specimen preparator, tiger vocalisation analyst, and have even written an article on Cheetah physiology for Biosphere magazine. I hope to pursue a PhD in the future.
The story behind...
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Chairperson for the Association of Animal Artists 2019 - 2023
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Judge for Inaugural Chairmans Award with the Association Of Animal Artists 2022 – present
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Featured in Episode 11 of the Cats Of The Wild podcast: "The Art of Conservation"
Exhibitions:
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Autumn Exhibition - The Association Of Animal Artists at The Station, Yorkshire in 2023
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Autumn Exhibition - The Association Of Animal Artists at Weston Park in 2022
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Spring Exhibition - The Association Of Animal Artists at Castle Park Arts Centre in 2022
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Sketch For Survival – Explorers Against Extinction at The Oxo Tower, London in 2021
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Colour By Nature – Joint exhibition with Alison Stafford and Karen Sillar at Weston Park in 2021
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Spring Exhibition - The Association Of Animal Artists at Castle Park Arts Centre in 2021
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Spring Exhibition - The Association Of Animal Artists online in 2020
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Autumn Exhibition - The Association Of Animal Artists at The Station, Yorkshire in 2019
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Wildlife in Watercolour – Solo exhibition at Ayscoughfee Hall in 2019
Awards
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Sketch For Survival 2021 - Finalist
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Association Of Animal Artists 2020 Autumn Art Competition - Runner Up
Notable Commissions
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"Jaya The Indian Rhino" Commissioned by Save The Rhino International for their 2021 product range