Review: 62nd Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists

The Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists has got off to an excellent start - with LOTS of red (and green) dots adorning various of the artwork hung in all three galleries at the Mall Galleries.

The end wall of the West Gallery

This is my annual review of the SWLA Annual Exhibition 2025. It's taken a long time to write at the same time as posting albums of photos of the exhibition and I'll probably come back and add bits in I've forgotten!

Except where otherwise indicated, quotations are from either the SWLA website or my past posts about this exhibition. They underline key points about the society and their particular approach to producing artwork and exhibiting

The Society of Wildlife Artists seeks to generate appreciation and delight in the natural world through all forms of fine art inspired by the world’s wildlife. SWLA website

In summary:

• there are 363 framed artworks and 3D artworks in the exhibition - and you can see them online here
• 71 were sold in the first six days (excluding the numerous sales of unframed prints) which 
• equates to 20% of the artwork hung or displayed 
• AND exceeds last year's total sales.
• about 90% of the wildlife seem to be birds this year - there are lots and lots of birds from around the UK and further afield
• there is also artwork portraying 
• UK mammals including field mice, squirrels, hares, foxes, wolves, stags, otters, seals, slugs, butterflies and insects!
• plus wild animals from other countries including elephants, pangolin, sting rays, jellyfish and octopus
• the artwork is from life - not photos - and is based on artists working in the field to sketch and make studies. A number of the framed artworks are in fact studies made in the field - literally! To illustrate what happens the exhibition also has a display of many photographs of working in the field

It's worth remembering that it's not coincidental that the name of this annual exhibition is "The Natural Eye". This connects to the emphasis which the SWLA places on artwork conceived, started and sometimes developed to completion while observing wildlife "in the field / sea / air"

The exhibition opened on 16th October and is open every day 10am to 5pm until 25 October.

In my opinion, one of the best annual art society exhibitions at the Mall Galleries every year is that by The Society of Wildlife Artists. (Me  - in Call for Entries: Society of Wildlife Artists - Annual Exhibition 2025 

East Gallery Feature Wall

This review is a multi-media experience! I have published and annotated three albums of photos from each of the three galleries over the last three days and the links are below

• Monday East Gallery
• Tuesday North Gallery
• Wednesday West Gallery (the biggest)

Some of the comments I might have included in this post are actually in the annotations of individual photos in these albums.  So this is in effect a multimedia post!

Some of the artworks which stood out to me below are highlighted in these albums and below.

Winners at Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025

The Winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025
Nicole Kolekova "Beloved"

The annual exhibition of the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 at the Mall Galleries had the most frightful luck this year.

• on the first four days there was a tube strike - which realistically meant the only visitors were those on trains into Charing Cross or Victoria or those who could get there by bus or bike.
• then on the Saturday, two marches (one of them absolutely enormous) were very close to The Mall - one of them being kettled on Whitehall.

There was no way I was going to go into town to see the exhibition because I'd have had to cross the route of at least one if not both marches. Plus I always make a point of never ever going into town on big march days as you never know how it might "kick off".

It's especially sad since entry income and 50% of the proceeds from all artwork sales support DSWF and their field partners

So by way of recompense to the artists, this is my post about those who won their categories and who was Highly Commended.

• You can SEE all the images of the Winners on the website. 
• Click to see the Gallery of the Highly Commended
• Scroll down to see all the other entries 

SEE ALSO my previous post Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 - now online

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025

The Overall Winner of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation's 2025 Wildlife Artist of the Year is Nicole Kolekova for her piece "Beloved". 

Winner of the Wildlife Artist of the Year Award 2025
Beloved 
a clay sculpture by Nicole Koleko

Nicole said this about her work

The most powerful love is maternal love and it would be difficult to find in nature a symbol as strong as a monkey mother who loves her child so much, that she cannot accept the reality long after her loss... 

As a child, I watched a documentary about a group of monkeys living happily in a city. One day, the group was attacked by a rival family of monkeys. The attack was loud and full of bites, but it didn’t last long. Both groups scattered and disappeared. The battlefield was silent, except for a small body lying in the middle. Motionless, in the middle of a stone path, its face turned to the ground. It was a painful sight, but you often saw it in documentaries, often children died. Suddenly, a mother ran to her, started wailing, and took her child in her arms. Then the narrator spoke: “Mother monkeys feel such great love for their young that they cannot accept the loss of them, even after their death. They hug their dead child for weeks after death and carry it with them and take care of it...” 

This moment was so powerful for me that it lives in my thoughts to this day and touches me…

The David Shepherd website says this about the work

This year’s overall prize went to Slovakian artist Nicole Koleková for her ceramic sculpture Beloved. The piece depicts a monkey mother unable to let go of her lost child, a heart-wrenching meditation on maternal love, grief, and the fragility of life in the natural world. Created using the rare technique of wood kiln-fired ceramics, each sculpture bears the unpredictable marks of fire and ash, echoing the wild essence of the subject itself. Nicole’s work, rooted in raw emotion and technical mastery, moved judges and audiences alike. 

Runner Up

RUNNER UP
Waiting on the World to Change
Matthew Polluk

London-based artist and wildlife fan Matthew Polluk was the overall runner-up.

From an exceptional field of entries, we are thrilled to announce the Overall Runner-Up for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025.

Congratulations to Matthew Polluk for a work that stood out for its impact, artistry, and resonance.

The David Shepherd website characterised Matthew Polluk as follows

Matthew Polluk is self taught artist who has carried his childhood passion for animals and the natural world into the fervent creation of wildlife art that he is recognised for today. He holds a strong passion for giving back to the natural world that inspires his art and uses his art to raise awareness for wildlife conservation. His paintings are often characterised by his use of a minimal colour palette - typically black, white and gold - and his use of metallic paints and precious materials, such as 24ct pure gold leaf, has become a trademark feature in his wildlife art.

Category and Special Award Winners

Links in the names of the prizewinners are to their websites or Instagram sites.

The text comes from this webpage celebrating the award winners where you can see large images of their artwork

Michelle Lee Howk First Time Entrants Award

• Gentle Little Baza by Aniruddha Gupte

The Black Baza, a striking raptor from southern India, is both elusive and ecologically significant. In his delicate watercolour, Mumbai-based artist Aniruddha Gupte celebrates this bio-indicator species, working with handmade paper and embracing the unpredictable qualities of the medium. A designer by training, Aniruddha only began painting wildlife in 2021, but his sensitivity and skill have already made a mark.

Elizabeth Hosking Watercolour Award

• Boys of Lolldaiga by Julia Cassels

Inspired by young elephants play-fighting on a dusty dam wall, Julia Cassels’ watercolour bursts with energy and movement. Having spent many years in Africa before returning to the UK, Julia’s art is alive with the sounds, scents, and rhythms of the wild. Her work not only captures wildlife but also raises awareness for conservation, connecting audiences to the places and creatures she loves most.

The Painters Online Award

• The Undertaker by Andrew Pledge

Marabou storks may not fit traditional ideas of beauty, but Andrew Pledge challenges us to see them differently. In The Undertaker, he celebrates their adaptability and ecological importance, reminding us that even “unattractive” species play vital roles. Andrew’s award-winning work focuses on overlooked birds, encouraging us to find wonder in unexpected places.

Youth Exclusive

• How to Crawl While Stuck in the Darkness by Sunghyun Chun 

At just 17 years old, South Korean student Sunghyun Chun impressed judges with his intricate pencil drawing of a snake emerging from darkness. A newcomer to art, he was initially inspired by manga, and Sunghyun is now pursuing his dream of studying at an art college in England. His work demonstrates how new generations are embracing wildlife art with originality and dedication.

Wings

• Strike a Pose by Emma Swift

The Southern Ground Hornbill is a bird full of charisma, with its striking plumage, resonant call, and proud strut across African grasslands. Emma Swift’s oil painting captures this bold personality with vivid colours and confident brushstrokes. An award-winning artist, Emma has been shortlisted for Wildlife Artist of the Year seven times. Her work underscores the interconnectedness of wildlife and environment, reminding us that every species has a role to play.

Into the Blue

• First Dance by Sarah Jackson

Made from recycled magazines, First Dance flows with the rhythm of the sea, celebrating the harmony of marine life. Sarah Jackson’s innovative use of collage and ink mirrors the ocean’s currents, transforming discarded material into textured, painterly compositions. Growing up on the Cornish coast, Sarah’s practice is deeply rooted in sustainability, proving that beauty and renewal can emerge from the everyday.

You''ll also find her work via Google in several art galleries.

Facing Extinction

• 96 Elephants a Day – The Daily Poaching Rate in Africa by Holly Budge

Every day, an estimated 96 elephants are killed for ivory in Africa. Holly Budge transforms this devastating statistic into wearable art: a necklace made from vegetable ivory, with one elephant turned in the opposite direction to symbolise hope. As founder of the NGO How Many Elephants and World Female Ranger Week, Holly combines adventure, activism, and design to amplify conservation causes. Her work has been praised by Sir David Attenborough for its ingenuity and impact.

Environmental Artivism

• In the Compass of the Oceans by Derek Robertson

Orcas are majestic apex predators, but also indicators of ocean health. Derek Robertson’s mixed-media piece highlights their vulnerability to overfishing, climate change, pollution, and plastic waste. With a career spanning 35 years, Derek is internationally recognised, with works held in collections from the Tate Gallery to the Royal Family. His art often bridges science and storytelling, collaborating with conservationists to bring urgent ecological narratives to life.

Earth’s Wild Beauty

• Iguazu Falls by Hazel McNab

Standing between Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls is one of the natural world’s most awe-inspiring sights. Hazel McNab’s linocut captures the delicate balance between fragility and force, with a slender tree holding its own against a backdrop of roaring water. Working in reduction linocut, Hazel layers colour and texture with precision, producing scenes infused with both movement and stillness. Her Cornish-based practice often celebrates coastal landscapes, but here she expands her gaze to a global wonder.

Animal Behaviour

• Into the Light by Phillip Allder

Few images are as powerful as a tiger carrying her cub. In Into the Light, Phillip Allder contrasts the ferocity of a top predator with the tenderness of motherhood, imbued with just a trace of threat. Based in the Lake District, Phillip is a wildlife and landscape artist whose career spans exhibitions in the UK and USA. His evocative style has earned him regular recognition in Wildlife Artist of the Year.

Abstract World

• A Dazzle of Zebra by Jonathan Truss (insecure website which takes a LONG time to open)

Zebra stripes are nature’s ultimate camouflage, confusing predators by merging into a dizzying pattern of black and white. Jonathan Truss captures this dazzling spectacle in his painting, placing viewers in the position of a lioness confronted with the impossible task of singling out her prey. A professional wildlife painter for 30 years, Jonathan has exhibited internationally and led art safaris across continents. His ability to blend science and spectacle continues to inspire.

You can find previous blog posts about the Wildlife Artist of the Year under this label in my Archive Wildlife Artist of the Year 

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 - now online

Next week the exhibitions for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation | Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 open at the Mall Galleries on 9th September and continues for 5 days until the 13th September. (more details at end)

The exhibition offers a rich and varied display, featuring everything from bold oil paintings and intricate pencil drawings to eco-conscious sculptures and inventive mixed-media creations, all inspired by the beauty and fragility of the natural world. DSWF website

The Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 exhibition features all the artworks selected across the nine competition categories. In the view of the competition judges, these represent the very best from thousands of international submissions.

However, you can now see which entries for the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 were selected for exhibition.  

• this is the link to the online exhibition for WAY 2025 
• the competition is now open for the public to vote for their favourite artwork

Each year we ask the general public to vote for their favourite piece from Wildlife Artist of the Year. The winning artist receives our coveted DSWF People’s Choice Award AND each voter will be entered into a prize draw with the chance to win two tickets to the stunning black tie DSWF Wildlife Ball on Friday 7 November 2025 at The Dorchester in London, including a champagne reception, three course meal and entertainment. Please show your support for your favourite artwork by casting your vote. DSWF website

• you have the option to buy - however all pieces sold prior to the exhibition have to stay on display during the 2025 exhibition and delivery will be confirmed and arranged after September 15th, 2025.

50% or more of the proceeds go directly to DSWF’s conservation efforts. Every purchase helps to secure a better future for endangered species, communities living alongside them, and our future generations. DSWF website

There's also a wide range of events.

This annual exhibition is organised by the David Wildlife Foundation and has been going for years. It attracts top notch art from UK and international artists and a lot of collectors of wildlife art. If this is the sort of art that interests you, it's well worth a visit.

Event Details

• LOCATION: Mall Galleries, London SW1 - see Google Map
• DATE: 9–13 September 2025
• TIME: 10am – 5pm (Tuesday 11am – 3pm)
• ENTRY: Free – donations welcome in support of our conservation work

Call for Entries: Society of Wildlife Artists - Annual Exhibition 2025

If you want to enter the 62nd Annual Exhibition by the Society of Wildlife Artists the deadline for entries is 12 noon on Friday 22nd August 2025. (Apologies for this being rather later than usual)

In my opinion, one of the best annual art society exhibitions at the Mall Galleries every year is that by The Society of Wildlife Artists. 

That's because 

• it's uncompromising about favouring artwork which has been created after studying your creature from life (i.e. it is very much NOT a fan of the type of hyperrealist artwork done from a photo without ever seeing the animal or studying it in the wild)

The Society of Wildlife Artists seeks to generate appreciation and delight in the natural world through all forms of fine art inspired by the world’s wildlife.

• displays artwork in a wide range of art media (paintings, prints, drawings, sketches, sculpture, ceramics and other 3D artwork)
• highlights a wide range of styles and colour palettes
• includes artwork developed from projects undertaken by the society and its artists during the year

It is emphatically not boring!

Plus it also has that huge asset known as a solid set of followers and collectors who are both faithful to their preferred artists and are also very interested in new art by new artists.

"The Natural Eye" Annual Exhibition 2024 by the Society of Wildlife Artists
West Gallery at the Mall Galleries

Call for Entries: 'The Natural Eye'

It's worth remembering that it's not coincidental that the name of this annual exhibition is "The Natural Eye". This connects to the emphasis which the SWLA places on artwork conceived, started and sometimes developed to completion while observing wildlife "in the field / sea / air" (past CFE post on this blog)

You can find detail of the Open Call for Entries for the SWLA Exhibition on the Mall Galleries website.

Below this post covers:

• what sort of artwork the SWLA want to see submitted by open artists
• images needed
• online submission only
• who can enter
• what you can enter
• how to submit

Plus pics of the last exhibition and links (at the end) to my blog posts about previous exhibitions and the type of artwork hung.

Key Dates are as follows

• Submissions open: Friday 23 May 2025, 12 noon
• Submissions close: Friday 22 August, 12 noon
• Notification of selection: Friday 5 September, 12 noon (log in to OESS)
• Receiving Day (if selected): Saturday 4 October, 10am to 5pm
• Private View (invite only): Wednesday 15 October, 2pm to 8pm, official opening at 3pm
• Exhibition opens: Thursday 16 October, 10am to 5pm daily
• Exhibition closes: Saturday 25 October, 5pm
• Collection of unsold work: Thursday 30 October, 10am to 5pm

There are a number of awards and prizes which you can see on this page.

"The Natural Eye" Annual Exhibition 2024 by the Society of Wildlife Artists
End wall of the West Gallery at the Mall Galleries

What kind of image should you submit

The Society is seeking works that depict wildlife subjects and evoke the spirit of the natural world.

The Selection Committee welcomes:

• All forms of two and three-dimensional artwork based on representing the world’s wildlife
• Artists with fresh visions that show imagination, artistic ability, originality and creativity
• Artworks that reveal a personal experience or true understanding of the subject

READ the "Exhibit with us" page on the SWLA website which provides excellent advice

 

Who can submit

Any artist aged 18 or over may enter, from anywhere in the world.

(If you are an international artist, you need to read the section on VAT)

What type of artwork can you submit - and what will get rejected

Review: 61st Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists

The Natural Eye 2024
61st Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists
in the East Gallery of the Mall Galleries

I saw the Annual Exhibition 2024 of the Society of Wildlife Artists in two parts last week - however they were mixed up with blood tests, innoculations, the Van Gogh Exhibition and a rather remarkable exhibition of bronze desert plants in Chelsea.  So my brain was a tad overloaded last week! Which is why this review is rather late!

Also, this week, I'm having problems syncing my photos between iPhone and Macbook and then between Macbook and Facebook.  I've managed to get one album on FB so far - but the photos aren't all in the right order and some are missing - which I find intensely irritating. (If you saw my folder and file structures you'd know why - I'm VERY organised when it comes to photos and documents).

So - mega whinge out of the way - what I did think of the exhibition?

View of the West Gallery

First, a reminder of the SWLA aims which include 

seeks to generate an appreciation of and delight in the natural world through all forms of fine art based on or representing the world’s wildlife.

Through exhibitions and publications of fine art, the Society aims to further an awareness of the importance of conservation in order to maintain the variety of the world’s ecosystems and its wildlife.

As usual, the SWLA Annual Exhibition is possibly the most contemporary of ALL the FBA Societies (and others) exhibiting at the Mall Galleries. 

It includes paintings, drawings, collage, sculpture, original prints and animation! (I'm seeing more and more videos and animation in art shows). The work is of a very high quality and I'd highly recommend all those aspiring to be selected from the open entry and exhibit in the show to view a visit to the exhibition as a MUST DO if they are to get the scope and flavour of the exhibition.

Looking towards the end wall of the West Gallery

The 61st annual exhibition of the SWLA, The Natural Eye is open to the public until 27 October 10am-5pm (closes 1pm final day). 

Please note that the gallery is closed Tuesday 22 October for a private event.

I try to show people what it looks like with my photos. These will be going online just as soon as I can browbeat my devices and software to talk to one another!! Links below.....

Sarah Lake wins Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024

Winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024: Jara by Sarah Lake

This post is about the internationally renowned David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation's Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, which opened to the public today - and continues daily at the Mall Galleries (10am - 5pm) until 6th July. It provides:

• announcement of 
• the artwork winning the top prize
• the runner up
• plus all the category and other award winners
• comments on the Exhibition
• my photos of the exhibition - plus links to more images of the artwork - including all the Category Winners
• comments on pricing and sales

On Monday night, I attended a very impressive Private View for the Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition where the awards for each category and finally the winner of the Wildlife Artist of the Year were announced.

You can also review the artworks in the exhibition online at the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 Online Exhibition on the DSWF website.

Towards the end of the Private View last night,
when numbers had reduced enough to get a good view of the artwork in the gallery

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024

Since its inception in 2008, DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year has attracted more than 17,500 entries and through entry fees, exhibition sales, and sponsorships, has raised nearly £2 million for wildlife causes.

The Wildife Artist of the Year 2024 is Sarah Lake.

Winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 - Sarah Lake
Artwork: "Jara"
Papercut 77 x 80cm SOLD (£1,800)

Sarah Lake is a very impressive wildlife artist from Kent with a unique approach to creating her art. All her artworks are created by cutting paper with a surgical blade and layering to create the shapes and tonal values of an animal or bird. Her award winninf artwork is the picture of an elephant's trunk - with the end curled round. This is what it looks like close up.

Last night, she was won the Wildlife Artist of the Year Award and sold all her artwork in the show (two proper artworks and two postcards) and I think this prize has just raised the profile of her artwork and her career - and her medium of choice.

A macro view of the elephant's trunk created as a papercut artwork by Sarakh Lake

Last year she won the Wings Category with a picture of a pelican - and I commented at the time that I thought it was the best artwork in the show

Her work is based on photographs which she analyses to extract the different tonal values. She explains her practice on her website.

It's been her practice in the past to donate most of her art for auctions which raise funds for wildlife conservation.

Her £10,000 award is split between a £5,000 cash prize and a £5,000 donation to a conservation charity / project of her choice.

The Runner Up

The runner up was a sculpture called "Guardian of the Forest" by Aki Mimura

Wildlife Artist of the Tear: Runner Up

'Guardian of the Forest' (Abstract World) by Aki Mimura

Limestone on Sandstone base

25 × 14 × 18 cm 

This was entered in the abstract category because it's a very stylised version of a bird - which I think is an owl.

Aki Mimura is a Japanese sculptor who used to be a professional watch designer for 11 years and now lives in Italy and works in sculpture.

I continue with the winners of the various categories below

Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition 2024

DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 has attracted entries from exceptionally talented amateur and professional artists all over the world.

This year the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) is celebrating its 40th anniversary - and displayed a film last night which indicates the work it has been doing

The Judges for the Awards in 2024 were made up of

• conservationist: Melanie Shepherd, Chair of the DSWF Board of Trustees (and former CEO of the Foundation)
• artists: Hazel Soan and Gary Hodges, 
• artists: Mandy Shepherd and Emily Lamb (David Shepherd's grandaughters)
• wildlife photographer: William Fortescue
• gallery owner: Simon Trapnell (founder of Nature in Art)
• interior designers: Wendy Feess.
• PR and advertising experts: Karrie Goldberg (Founder of The Kagency and Outernet)

The Awards Ceremony was livestreamed on YouTube and can be seen in this video.  Apparently the set-up only took a couple of hours. I though it was a wonderful way of engaging with the international community who are all very enthusiastic about this competition - and send lots of entries!

You can also see my Facebook album of photos of 

• the winner AND all the category winners 
• lots of general views of the exhibition - and the rest of the artworks (in PV mode)!! 

Category Winners

The category winners are listed below. 

Review: 60th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists

The 60th Anniversary Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists is excellent as always. 

I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND this exhibition which is open daily 10am to 5pm and continues until Saturday 11th November. It opened last Thursday at the Mall Galleries  and continues until next Saturday and has events in the gallery next week  on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th November from sketches and linocuts to monprinting and wood carving.

The exhibition has over 430 works in the catalogue plus unframed project work from the Wadden Sea residency.

There are original prints, paintings, drawings, sculptures and animations on show including a hundred works by non members. The SWLA Bursary Scheme awarded 5 places on the John Busby Seabird Drawing Course and work from those artists will be on display. SWLA website

Medium and smaller works, together with smaller sculpture and drawings
tend to be located within the three smaller Galleries in the North Gallery.

You can view 

• all the artwork in the catalogue in the Mall Galleries Website - Online Exhibition
• most of the artwork in the three albums on my Facebook Page
• West Gallery
• East Gallery
• North Gallery
• the catalogue on Issuu

Below I'm going to comment on 

• my overall impressions 
• artwork I liked (to be added tomorrow - my other half wants his dinner!)
• awards and prizes. 
• and finally, new members and associates.

The Annual Exhibition is called The Natural Eye. This neatly encapsulates two important aspects of the exhibition:

• firstly it's about very best of fine art inspired by the natural world
• secondly, it's also about artwork which has been drawn, painted, printed or sculpted only after encounters with wildlife i.e. it's NEVER ever copied from another artist's photograph of a wild animal - and the members of the Selection Panel can definitely tell!

The latter reason is why you typically won't see a lot of endangered animals or big cats which are much photographed and omnipresent in other wildlife art exhibitions.

It's predominantly about wildlife art seen within the UK and Europe - with some relating to expeditions to other countries. The exhibition is also very popular with international artists and diversity of location of the wildlife is often related to it being local within the country where the artist lives. 

Overall Impressions

Part of the West Gallery during the Private View

One of the things which always strikes me, every single time I walk into 'The Natural Eye Exhibition' run annually by the Society of Wildlife Artists, is the sheer diversity of style and media in terms of the artworks selected for the show.

Style and Colour

• It has a great deal of contemporary approaches to representational art (i.e. NOT hyperrealistic). This, I think, is linked in part to the fact that the SWLA very much encourages direct observation of wildlife and NOT copying from photographs. This is NOT an exhibition where an artwork looking like a photograph is seen as a compliment!
• While there's a fair amount of realism, this is balanced out by a more gestural approach to artmaking.
• Colour is accurate where realism is preferred - and palettes are pushed where the artwork is more stylised.

Types of Artwork

• there's always a lot of very good sculpture - and this exhibition is not different. In part this is because the SWLA has a number of excellent sculptors as members - who make and create in diverse materials from scap metal to cobalt serpentine

Kodiak Brown Bear (Indomitable - head study)
by Nick Bibby SWLA
Bronze (edition of 9) 
I was rather glad I took the photo from this angle - where he looks a sweetie!

• I always love looking at the fine art prints - and again the sheer diversity of approaches to making prints makes this an excellent show for anybody who loves printmaking (and they're having a number of events related to printmaking this coming week)

Media

• There's a lot of mixed media - mixing watercolour or gouache with pencils of various kinds seems to be a favourite
• Probably the most prevalent painting media is oil - but this in turn is painted on a variety of supports in a range of sizes.

There is also a LOT of red dots and sales seem to be going really well. However, given the quality of the artwork that's hardly surprising!

Artwork I liked

I liked:

• The Young Hare by Tianyin Wang ASWLA (see below) - This eas a really sensitive treatment of this animal and the shape and posture are perfect.
• Puffins over Coquet Island by Paul Henery SWLA  (see below) - This jumped off the wall at me - because of the flight of puffins coming towards me. Plus the fact it shows puffins in flight as opposed to waddling around on rocks. So impressive! Plus great landscape painting too.
• Harvest Mouse by Simon Turvey SWLA - A harvest mouse in typical travel mode from one stalk to the next - blending completely into the background. I really appreciate artists who go to the trouble of demonstrating both character and habitat of wildlife.

Harvest Mouse by Simon Turvey SWLA

Oil on board, 20 x 15 cm (32 x 27 cm framed)

• The collection of Drypoint Prints (see below) by Marco Brodde - a Danish
  Wildlifeartist and naturalist living and working  around the Wadden Sea area, in Denmark. The Wadden Sea project and the artwork by SWLA artists associated with it have been facilitated by Marco. A clear demonstration below of the benefit of making a collection of prints by one artist.

PS. I want to add more - but that will need to wait until later - Sunday dinner is calling!!

Awards and Prizes

Cy Baker: solo exhibition of wildlife art

Cy Baker - winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022
demonstrating his art in his solo exhibition of his artwork 
in the East Gallery of the Mall Galleries

There's no mention on the Mall Galleries website or the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation of the artwork being displayed by Cy Baker who won the Wildlife Artist of the Year Award in 2022 in the East Gallery of the Mall Galleries. 

It's even more odd given that when I visited on Tuesday, he had also sold all but one of his paintings and for not insignificant sums. 

Exhibition of paintings by Cy Baker - winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022
in the East Gallery of the Mall Galleries

In fact, in terms of best selling wildlife art for significant sums this was where all the action was this week!

So below, is a short overview of Cy Baker and his artwork

This is a short video of how the exhibition came together at the Mall Galleries

You can see more of his solo exhibition at this link on his website.

Cy Baker - Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022.

Cy Baker was in the East Gallery, demonstrating how he creates his very effective paintings and I had a chance to talk with him and find out how he works and how he sells his paintings.

After winning David Shepherd’s Wildlife Foundations Wildlife Artist of the Year last year I chose to spend my winnings on visiting the project doing incredible work in Uganda. I was utterly blown away by the work being done to save these animals lives. All the work sold in this exhibition will have 50% of the sale money go directly to saving wildlife all over the globe.

His paintings

Cy Baker has been creating wildlife artwork on canvas using a biro and oil paint for c. 10 years.

• He first creates a gesso surface on the canvas incorporating a very weak solution of Titanium white to produce a light buff finish
• Then he uses a biro with lightfast ink to create a drawing on the canvas and a complete tonal pattern of his subject matter. He's stroking the biro onto the canvas and hatching where appropriate. It took some time to find a biro which worked well with canvas.
• He then uses weak solutions of Winsor and Newton Titanium White to enhance the 3D nature of his paintings. In effect he "cuts in" with the white after the drawing has been developed.

This video has Cy talking about he uses his biro to create the artwork and how he creates his compositions which are a very strong feature of his artwork

About Cy Baker

He studied scientific illustration at Southampton Institute and Blackpool and the Fylde College of Art in the 1990s after which he worked for about five years as a freelance illustrator. 

He then worked fulltime in Customer Services for 14 years before giving up his job in April 2015 to try and make it as a full time professional artist. 

He's succeeded in getting noticed, being selected for open/juried exhibitions and winning awards - and selling his artwork!

• Wildlife Artist of the Year: 
• Overall Winner – 2022, 
• Highly Commended – 2021, 
• Category Winner – 2019, 
• Finalist – 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2016, 2012
• Society of Graphic Fine Art: Dry Red Press Award – 2021
• Royal Society of Marine Artists – 2020
• Society of Wildlife Artists – 2019, 2013, 2011, 2006
• Marwell International Wildlife Art Society: 
• Best Bird in Exhibition – 2011
• Best in Exhibition – 2010
• Exmoor: Best in Exhibition – 2010 

How he sells his paintings

Cy has learned over the years how to sell artwork and how to make money (they're two different things!). He does not have a gallery and organises his own sales - and consequently has better control over his selling expenses.

• He attends a number of Art Fairs where he is now a regular exhibitor and where his artwork sells well
• He has a shop on this website where he sells original artwork, limited edition prints and open edition prints direct to customers
• He also works on commission and describes the process on his website

He's also providing different offers for different pockets - with 

• original artwork in different sizes
• limited edition prints
• open edition prints

Rather than having standard prices for specific sizes, he makes adjustments depending on the complexity of the work.

I'm a fan of his approach to creating consistent pricing and sales!

• He's progressed to his current prices over a number of years having found the market for his work and fans who love to buy his artwork. 
• He did NOT start out with a bang asking for a lot of money but rather found out prices worked in relation to generating consistent sales of his artwork. 
• He now raises his prices in small incremental changes over time. 

Like I said he's sold all but one painting within 24 hours of the exhibition opening. I think he's got it about right!

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You can find Cy Baker on his:

• Website https://cybaker.co.uk/
• Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/cybakerart (the banner is the piece which won him Wildlife Artist of the Year in 2022)
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cy.baker/
• You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@cybaker2367

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Exhibition

This is about the David Shepherd Foundation's Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, which I visited on Tuesday. It provides:

• announcement of the artwork winning the top prize
• comments on the Exhibition
• my photos of the exhibition - plus links to more images of the artwork - including all the Category Winners
• comments on pricing and sales

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023

"The Journey" by Karen Laurence-Row

(Abstract World category)

oil and gold leaf 113 x 113 cm framed

SOLD

The winner of Wildlife Artist of the Year 2023 Prize is Karen Laurence-Row for her oil and gold leaf painting titled "The Journey" (Abstract World category) 113 x 113 cm framed.

It's the story of a giraffe. It's much more abstract than most winners have been in the past. I can't tell you anything about it or why it was chosen as there's nothing on the website and, despite a request, I've not been emailed a press release.

Born in Uganda, daughter to a civil engineer, her family lived almost a nomadic existence, moving around East Africa to wherever a road or a bridge was needed. With no towns or cities around for hundreds of miles, Karen and her siblings would draw to entertain themselves. These memories of Africa’s virtually unspoiled landscapes, teeming with game and magnificent views, were to influence her subject matter as an artist in later years. (her website)

The Judges for the Awards in 2023 were made up of

• PR and advertising experts: Karrie Goldberg (Founder of The Kagency and Outernet)
• artists: Hazel Soan Gary Hodges, Mandy Shepherd and Emily Shepherd
• conservationists: Melanie Shepherd, Chair of the DSWF Board of Trustees
• gallery owners: Simon Trapnell (founder of Nature in Art)
• art expert / agent: Rita Alay Libera Del Curoto Askernasy (Founder of MT Art Agency)
• interior designers: Wendy Feess.

Category winners

The categories have been revised this year. They now include:

• Abstract World and 
• Environmental Activism.

The latter category was won by Ophelia Redpath the winner of the Landscape Artist of the Year 2021 with her painting Not in a Million Years. Below is my photo of her two stunning paintings and her habit of creating paintings with a story seems particularly apposite for this competition and the Environmental Activism category. She also won The Artist Editor's Choice Prize as well - so expect an article about Ophelia's wildlife paintings in an upcoming edition of The Artist

Two paintings in the Environmental Activism category
by Ophelia Redpath

As things stand at the moment there's no listing of the category winners on their website - but you can see them on my Facebook Page (see link below)

You can also see a solo exhibition by Cy Baker in the East Gallery. He won last year when the exhibition was online only. I'll be doing a blog post about him later this week and he also gets a mention below.

The Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition 2023

There has been no physical exhibition for three years so I was very pleased to see a very welcome and very impressive sight when I walked in to the Mall Galleries - and I commend this exhibition to all lovers of wildlife art.

Very sadly, as the exhibition has switched away from online only, we are left with a conundrum. The website now appears to be entirely focused on sales and is removing all sold images from view - so you cannot see the artwork which won the major prize and many others which have sold

[UPDATE: I've now found both the 2023 Exhibition Online and the Finalists Artwork - where you can vote for your favourite in the People's Choice Award]

You can also see my album of photos of the exhibition on my Facebook Page - where you can see the winner AND all the category winners!!

The DWSF Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition 2023 is on at the Mall Galleries 

• until 16th September - from 10am - 5pm every day. 
• Entrance is FREE. 
• There is an excellent catalogue available at the front desk 

DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year is an internationally renowned wildlife art competition and exhibition, which each year attracts entries from some of the most talented artists around the globe, who come together to celebrate the beauty of the natural world.

The exhibition fills the West Gallery of the Mall galleries and looks simply splendid. Observations I noted during my visit include:

FINAL Call for Entries: Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2023

You have until 12 noon on Friday 8th September to get your entries submitted for the Open Annual Exhibition 2023 of the Society of Wildlife Artists.

For some completely unfathomable reason, I've only just realised that I somehow never did the Call for Entries for the Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2023 called "The Natural Eye".

So here's a reminder that the DEADLINE for ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY is noon on Friday 8th September.

You can see images of the artwork in past exhibitions in my reviews listed at the end of this blog post

Sculptures and paintings from last year's exhibition

Call for Entries

"The focus of the Society’s year is the annual exhibition, The Natural Eye, featuring all art media. This is an open exhibition, held every autumn at the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. It is a showcase for the very best of art inspired by the natural world and is considered the foremost event in the British wildlife art calendar." - Harriet Mead, President

Below is the "what you need to know" to send in an entry.
See also https://www.mallgalleries.org.uk/open-calls/society-wildlife-artists-open-now

ARTISTS: Who can enterAny artist over 18 may submit.

• It's is NOT restricted to artists who live/work in the UK.
• If you're an international artist you can submit artwork to this exhibition - but first make sure you understand that involves.

ARTWORK: What can you enter

• Work should be 
• based on representing the world’s wildlife and
• should have been completed within the last three years.
• A maximum of six artworks - and if you are successful, all six will be hung!
• All artwork must be for sale.
• Acceptable media: 
• Work may be in any medium including drawing, painting, sculpture and original prints (if prints, please detail edition and how many are available).
• The SWLA is keen to embrace new and innovative mediums and will accept computer-generated images as ‘original prints’. However, a digital print is only considered an original print if it was created by the artist to be realised specifically 
  as a print.
• Ineligible media
• Reproductions of paintings or photographs will not be accepted.
• Photographic reproductions or mechanical prints, giclée prints, etc., that are often promoted as ‘limited edition prints’ are not acceptable.
• Inadmissible artwork
• Work exhibited previously at Mall Galleries is not admissible.
• botanical subjects, pets and domestic animals, 
• art on decorative wares (such as vessels or tiles). 
• Works depicting wildlife divorced from its environment or without place, setting or context are rejected in many cases. 
• Artwork which will NOT be hung
• Artworks that are poorly presented
• or differ significantly from the photograph entered will not be exhibited.

ENTRIES: Deadline 

The deadline for all ONLINE SUBMISSIONS ONLY is 12 noon on Friday 8th September 2022 you need to 

• complete the online form 
• pay your submission fee 
• upload your digital image(s) Images must be in JPEG format and under 5MB

MONEY: How much does it cost to submit an entry?

• The submission fee is £20 per work (or £14 per work for artists aged 35 or under).

KEY POINTS ON PRICING - how should I price my art?

I've written many times about pricing for exhibitions at the Mall Galleries. While the Own Art option (of paying in instalments) is available, it's not obvious or well advertised and hence the 'nuts and bolts' are these

• Most of the people who buy art at the Mall Galleries are characterised by me as being "Middle Class Middle England on Middle Income". You will have noted that they are just as concerned about the cost of living as everybody else. 
• My advice is to submit your best work - because people will still be buying (just less than usual) / adding to their collections but do NOT be silly about prices. Do your research!
• Commission is charged at a rate of 45%+VAT (except re foundry fees for sculpture - see detailed notes on the website)
• Do not price above £2,500 UNLESS
• EITHER you're either a well established artist with a very good following of active collectors (which applies to quite a few of the members)
• OR it's an excellent artwork and you've sold at this price before
• OR you don't mind insuring and shipping expensive artwork to the exhibition and then back to your studio if it doesn't sell
• NOTE that:
• most art sells for less than £1,500
• the most popular price range is £501-£1,000
• small works priced between £200 and £500 sell well
• the minimum price is £200
• EXCEPT for Prints: framed £120, unframed £95 - but note that buyers are NOT charged for postage and packaging of unframed prints and your pricing for unframed prints needs to take this into account

SELECTION

• The Selection Committee is formed of artist members of the Society.
• Your notification of whether you've been successful and been selected to hang in the exhibition is Friday 22 September
• The selectors' decisions are final and no feedback is provided.

DELIVERY & COLLECTION

• You MUST get the artwork to the Mall Galleries by the Receiving Day - Saturday 21 October , 10am to 5pm
• take away all the packaging
• If you live in the UK or are sending an artwork from abroad, or are unable to deliver or collect a work in person, please refer to the list of couriers mallgalleries.org.uk/call-for-entries/art-couriers who regularly visit the gallery.
• my list of Art Movers & Couriers https://www.artbusinessinfo.com/uk-fine-art-movers-couriers-shippers.html
• Works are available to collect from the first Thursday after an exhibition closes

EXHIBITION at the Mall Galleries

• OPENS TO THE PUBLIC: Thursday 2 November, 10am to 5pm daily
• CLOSES: Saturday 11 November, 5pm
• You can see the artwork which was selected / hung last year (and how it was priced and whether it sold) on this link

Why enter this exhibition

Sculptures and paintings from last year's exhibition

This is a very popular exhibition with a lot of art collectors who visit every year. It regularly achieves good sales from the display of c.350 original artworks from both members and non-members including paintings, drawings, original prints and sculptures.

The Annual Exhibition is called The Natural Eye and I've always thought this neatly encapsulates two important aspects of the exhibition

• firstly it's about very best of fine art inspired by the natural world
• secondly, it's also about artwork which has been drawn, painted, printed or sculpted only after encounters with wildlife i.e. it's NEVER ever copied from another artist's photograph of a wild animal - and the members of the Selection Panel can tell!

The latter reason is why you won't see a lot of endangered animals or big cats which are much photographed and omnipresent in other wildlife art exhibitions.

Although art is submitted by members and artists who live all over the world, most of the artwork is typically much more focused on the wildlife in their own localities - whether on the land, in the sky or in the water - or in places they've travelled to in order to see the birds or animals.

Birds is another aspect you need to know about. This exhibition is BIG ON BIRDS!  Those who enter open wildlife art competitions will know there is a very large subset of fanatical birders who create art - and this exhibition is no exception.

REFERENCE: Society of Wildlife Artists

website https://swla.co.uk

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Society-of-Wildlife-Artists-334828923278865

Twitter https://twitter.com/swlanaturaleye

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/societyofwildlifeartists/

SWLA Bursaries https://swla.co.uk/bursaries

My blog posts include images of artwork in the annual exhibitions:

2022

• Review: Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2022

2021

• Review: Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2021
• The Natural Eye Bursary 2021 - Call for Entries

2020

• SWLA's new website and annual exhibition closing early 
• - which I didn't follow up on due to Ever so slightly distracted

2019

• Review: 2019 Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists
• Society of Wildlife Artists: New Members and Associate Members

2018

• Review: Society of Wildlife Artists 55th Annual Exhibition
• Awards - Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition 2018

2017

• The Natural Eye - the sort of wildlife art that gets selected
• Review - The Natural Eye Exhibition 2017
• VIDEO: Wildlife Field Study sketches by the SWLA
• Awards - Society of Wildlife Artists Annual Exhibition

2016 - Review - Society of Wildlife Artists 53rd Annual Exhibition
2015 - Review: Society of Wildlife Artist's 52nd Annual Exhibition (2015)
2014 - Video: 2014 Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists
2013 - Review: 50th Annual Exhibition - Society of Wildlife Artists
2013 - If you want a lot of people at the Private View......
2013 - Society of Wildlife Artists - a new book and a bursary
2012 - Review: 49th Annual Exhibition - Society of Wildlife Artists
2011 - Review: Society of Wildlife Artists - Annual Exhibition
2009 - Society of Wildlife Artists - Annual Exhibition 2009
2008 - 45th Annual Exhibition of the Society of Wildlife Artists
2007 - Society of Wildlife Artists at the new Mall Galleries