Friday, June 16, 2006

Why did you become a Wildlife Artist?


In my last post I showed a couple of paintings I had done as a child, and this has raised a question that I'm always asked at my shows:

"Why did you choose to become a Wildlife Artist?"

I think the answer is that I didn't choose it at all! It's something that I have always done. I've included two more childhood paintings ( I have many ) to show that from the very beginning, with my first set of watercolour paints I was painting wildlife.

I have always been inspired by Nature. The grace and beauty of wild animals is something that takes my breath away and for me it was the most natural thing in the world to choose animals as my subjects. Throughout my life I have painted them and will no doubt do so until the day I die.

It's not something I ever made a conscious choice about, it was the coming together of my two great passions, the natural world and my love of art. I think a true wildlife artist should be someone who has a real passion for nature and not just a gifted artist who has decided to paint a tiger or two.

I never really chose to do Art even, it was more like Art choosing me. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world for me to do and deep down I always knew that Art would become my life.

Whats significant about all these early paintings isn't whether they show any real talent or not, but the fact that I kept them for all these years. I kept them because I had the belief even then, that my work would someday be valued.

This is what makes an Artist. The love of painting, the love of your subject, and the self belief that binds it all together.

3 Comments:

At 7:09 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you are truly a person who inspires,through your paintings, your words.Since I was a child I love nature and painting. I choose biology as my career, and now im finishing. I wish more than ever to combine like you, what I love.

 
At 7:13 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Even as a child I can see that you had amazing color concepts. You definatley didnt take the "as is" you sought out the colors and shading. Amazing
A true fan
-Maike S

 
At 6:10 pm , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for your kind comment Maike.

 

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