Map #23
In creating a piece of wildlife art, my intention is to create something powerful and unique that speaks about the subject. I want to draw the viewer into the scene so they can recognize and experience that piece of nature. Often inspiration originates from personal experience, but it could come from anywhere; a unique photograph, a video or a fascination with the pattern or colour of an animal. I spend a lot of time in composing and executing a work of art to try and capture the beauty and character of my subject. I work in detail, with the aim to create a sense of ‘virtual reality’ with paint – or whatever medium I happen to be using – and produce something aesthetically pleasing. Working with new mediums allows me to expand on the artistic possibilities available to me. A large proportion of the pieces here are painted in acrylic, a water-based medium with which I am most familiar. Other mediums that I have worked with include pencil, pastel, and wood (carving). I now use oil paint and scratchboard for a lot of my art and am working on adding other mediums to my repertoire.