Testimonials and Reviews

TESTIMONIALS - FEEDBACK

Some of the feedback from exhibitions, workshops and commissions.

BOOK REVIEWS

'Lovely read! My daughter really enjoyed the story and easy to follow. Will look forward to the next instalments.'
'My class loved this story! A sweet, humorous book just right for primary school aged children. The characters and plot really captured their attention. The poetic style and typography meant that there was also lots to talk about.'

WILDLIFE ART CLASSES, WORKSHOPS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

'Excellent, inspiring and great fun. Thank you!' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Fantastic workshop. Very pleasant presentation and helpful guidance. I loved it. Thank you so much.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'A really enjoyable workshop.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'I loved this workshop, it was fantastic. I had never done this before but loved the opportunity to be creative. Thank you so much.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Very enjoyable session. Lots of ideas.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Fun and plenty of learning. Thanks. Enjoyed.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Friendly, enjoyable workshop extremely well resourced with lots of ideas and skills imparted. Relaxing afternoon.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Unaccustomed as I am to paint and glue, I found this class challenging. So was surprised and pleased with the results, thanks to good supplies and materials and encouragement from the course leader.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Enjoyable afternoon - lots of scope.' (National Honey Show - Mixed Media Bee Art Workshop)

'Thank you so much for Monday evening [wildlife drawing in coloured pencil : squirrel]. You did a splendid job and have inspired us all.' (Tatsfield Art Group)

PET PORTRAITS AND COMMISSIONS

"I saw a beautiful drawing of Claire’s on display on one of her stands. Unfortunately, another person bought it just before me. I was very disappointed but Claire offered to do another similar one especially for me. This drawing turned out even nicer, I think, than the previous one and she also delivered it to me personally!" (Ann)

"We are delighted with the portrait of our dog. It is excellent. Thank you so much.. We think your portrait is outstanding." (D)

"I was very impressed that Claire was able to achieve such a true likeness... She had never met the dog having only a photograph to copy from. Such a very gifted lady." (Gina)

"The painting of my cat was so lifelike and beautiful that it resembles that of a photograph. Each brush stroke intricately shows the many layers and colours of his coat and captures his features so beautifully. It is absolutely wonderful and a perfect gift." (Jenny)

"My Mum commissioned the painting of...my little Boston Terrier as a surprise for my birthday. We are very pleased as it is a beautiful painting with a true likeness. [..]. It has really caught her cheeky personality." (Judy)

"Seeing the picture you drew of George: my first thoughts were 'WOW' that's absolutely amazing" (M)

"Thank you so much for the portrait of Leo. I am delighted with the results, such a good likeness. Better still my daughter was thrilled to receive such a personal present." (J)

"I'd just like to thank-you so much for my beautiful portrait of my cat. You have managed to really capture every feature about him. It is now taking pride of place on the mantle piece in my home!" (C)

"Hi Claire just to say a big thank you once again for our lovely sketch of our Rosie. We have hung it in the hallway so we still get a beautiful greeting from her. I have been around a couple of times as I have a small gift for you, could you let me know when you are in. Regards * x" (Julie)

Wildlife Art Exhibitions

'Congratulations for your first solo exhibition!! They are beautiful, especially I like the one with a kingfisher and a wood avens!! Nice to see a few plant paintings among your nice animals.' (Mayumi)

'I always love your work. One of your fans.' (AA)

'Your work is always excellent!' (Anon.)

'A lovely exhibition - such lively animal studies! Hope you are very successful.' (Anon.)

'I love your work, your observations are unique. I will enjoy having one of your pictures on my wall.' (H)

Loved the detail! Will enjoy giving [the painting] to my dog-loving sister for Christmas.' (Cindy)

'Your work is absolutely amazing. The detail is so incredible. I've actually learnt lots by reading about each picture. Well done...' (Marilyn)

'I did so enjoy these. My favourite was the wildcat. Also the kingfisher for its colours, and the squirrel, etc. All really!' (Janice)

'Your paintings are lovely. You are very talented. Keep up the lovely work.' (Dawn)

Really beautiful!! So pleased to see your work in one place to really appreciate it and look forward to seeing more!' (Sarah)

A great exhibition! Loved the squirrel, 'Wild Eyed and Bushy Tailed', and the kingfisher.' (Cait)

'What a lovely exhibition. Such talent! Well done. Really enjoyed seeing more of your work!' (CaS)

WILDLIFE ART CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS - CHILDREN

"I know the boys really enjoyed the process, being creative and being free to make a mess whilst producing pieces. As a parent I was really pleased to see an end result and have something to show for their efforts. They have all put their pictures up in their rooms and the pots have tomato plants in."(Jo)

"The girls loved [the art workshop] and can't wait to go again." (Dawn)

Thank you so much for today Claire. * and * had a fabulous time with you and *. They said it was great fun and they are very proud of their works of art which are beautifully displayed in our lounge! They can't wait for the next one! :)" (Claire)

"* had a great time at the workshop and was keen to tell me you are running them again in May?? Thanks so much - some really beautiful items came home that * is very proud of producing!" (Sarah)

"* had a great time today at your art and craft club. He was very proud of his work and couldn't wait to give them to his mummy. Thank you." (Glenda)

"My daughter loved the workshop and can't wait to come again. Thanks Claire. Hopefully soon!!" (Lianne)

Drawing Hares

Drawing Wildlife. When asked to present a wildlife art demo in March, one animal sprang to mind! The month has been all about March hares! Here's a work in progress study of a hare using coloured pencils. Getting ready for an art session. As preparation is key for any art demo, several images of hares were selected to be used as reference material - and so the wildlife sketching and drawing was ready for working on the easel at home. Drawing Hares and other Wildlife. Planning time to a hare's hair's breadth! The aim of the art demo was to go through the stages of completing a pencil drawing of a hare using coloured pencils. The demo was scheduled for about 2 hours' drawing time... Detailed, realistic coloured pencil drawings can take a very long time to complete, even in the comfort of an artist's usual studio or dedicated art space. Natural nerves in drawing a hare, or any animal, in front of members of an art group (in this case, consisting of

British Wildlife Watercolours

British Wildlife Watercolours. British wildlife, birds and flowers are carefully painted using watercolours, based on the wildlife and botanical subjects from the garden and local woods. Wildlife such as small British woodland animals (badgers, foxes, squirrels, mice, bats, deer, otters, wild cats, stoats, weasels - even wild boar, pine martens, beavers and, one day, lynx may return to the wilds of Britain!) and UK garden birds, butterflies and bees, along with ladybirds and dragonflies, add to the joys to be found in the garden, or just beyond, all year round. Watercolours can be used to capture the beauty in the animal or plant subject using the fluidity of the paints. Everyone's favourite! A beautiful owl resting amongst the bluebells. British Wildlife Watercolours : Watercolour Owl and Bluebell British Wildlife Watercolours : Watercolour Bird Painting of a Sparrow and Worm Watercolours can be used in a variety of wildlife paintings for different effects bas

Wildlife Drawing Classes

Wildlife Drawing Classes Wildlife art classes in drawing wildlife. There is more to be gained from drawing British wildlife than drawing and sketching alone – with wildlife art classes, there can be enjoyment in discovering about some of Britain’s favourite animals and birds in the company of other artists and nature enthusiasts, through drawing wildlife classes which bring together like-minded individuals in a pleasant setting. Drawing animals and birds from life is an excellent way to engage with the natural world around us. An understanding of wildlife anatomy, behaviour and environment, through observations and sketches, can help build the skills and knowledge necessary for more detailed graphite or coloured pencil drawings of British wildlife and birds. Drawing class subjects include the familiar favourites such as: foxes, squirrels, hedgehogs, mice, deer and birds, plus some of the more elusive characters from the British countryside – badgers, otters, wildcats, newts

British Wildlife Coloured Pencils

Drawing wildlife using coloured pencils Coloured pencil wildlife art paintings and drawings. Detailed wildlife and botanical drawings and paintings can be gained using coloured pencils which range from student grade to professional grade. The following animal pencil paintings were achieved using a mixture of coloured pencil brands but mainly Faber-Castell Polychromos and Caran D’ache Swisscolour. Detail is captured as realistically as possible whilst retaining the creative style. Realistic British wildlife art by wildlife and botanical coloured pencil artist. British Wildlife : Coloured Pencils : Mouse and Apple British Wildlife Art : Coloured Pencil Drawing of a Robin Snow Leopard : Coloured Pencils Coloured Pencil Drawing : British Bird : Owl Wood Avens : Coloured Pencils Coloured Pencils : Grape British Wildlife Art : Squirrel

Bird Drawing Workshops

Bird drawing workshops can be a good source of information for anyone who loves birds and wants to draw them, especially beginner artists and improvers. Drawing Workshops. Wildlife Art. Kent. Surrey. Sussex. London. Drawing workshops and classes are a great place to pick up advice and resources that can be used to discover more about birds in the local area. Workshops can help introduce the beginner to outdoor bird sketching and keeping a bird diary or nature journal that can be used to identify birds and develop the drawings to produce more detailed, realistic bird paintings. Regular sketching can significantly improve bird drawings and paintings whilst developing knowledge of bird anatomy and habitats. There are many strange and wonderful aspects to a bird’s body (skeleton, muscles, feet, feathers and beaks) that serve a function and it is often through sketching and detailed drawing that these anatomical wonders are closely observed and begin to be understood.

Dinosaur Art Workshops

Dinosaur Art Workshops. Reflections on being asked to run some art workshops and my first reactions. Wildlife art can cover such a broad range of subjects in all mediums - birds, beasts, bugs and wildflowers...in pastels, coloured pencils, oil, acrylic, watercolour, even mixed media. So, when I was asked earlier in the year to run some children's art workshops for Berkeley Group at a school activity camp in the middle of the Weald of Kent countryside, Cranbrook, I didn't hesitate to jump at the chance - I'm happy to draw, paint and teach virtually any wildlife and nature subjects, in different mediums, and didn't expect any surprises... I wondered what wildlife they might want to draw or paint...a bird, hare or squirrel? Maybe smaller creatures, such as butterflies or bees, and how about wildflowers? Perhaps we would glimpse a fox whilst exploring the beautiful grounds of the school in search of inspiration...even a deer might be possible given the abundance of wildlife

British Wildlife Watercolours : Garden Birds

Bird Art : from the Garden There are a number of British birds that visit the garden daily for the abundance of naturally growing berries and seeds - and it's a good way to get ideas for later watercolours and drawings of birds. The traditional garden bird, the sparrow, seems to have been replaced by the more colourful birds such as bluetits, goldfinches, long-tailed tits and chaffinches – although a few sparrows do usually manage to make a daily appearance – especially around their favourite bird table where additional nuts, seeds and worms tempt even the most reluctant visitors. A favourite garden visitor is our British National Bird – the robin redbreast – or rather three of them! Plus all the wood pigeons and doves, crows, blackbirds, thrushes, woodpeckers – green and red - even fieldfares – it can get quite a busy! That is the best time to make sure a pencil and paper is nearby – for the birds are always entertaining to watch and sketch – it’s a most enjoyable way to

Traditional Bee Drawings

Honey Bee Illustration Traditional Bee Drawings at wildlife workshops. Enjoy a wildlife art workshop drawing bees! Beginner artists and nature enthusiasts can explore the world of bees and bee art through bee drawing workshops, alongside artists wishing to improve their art skills and discover more about the wildlife world of bees! This wildlife drawing of a honey bee was initially created as a quick sketch in preparation for a bee show. The original rough sketch had been done and, with a few colours applied to give an impression, it was left only partially coloured and a very rough version of what had been planned for a complete drawing of a bee. Before it was completed, however, several enquiries had been made, asking to purchase the rough bee drawing and, eventually, this bee was created but not before several hours of research into the anatomy of bees had been carried out! It was a good experience, though, because it provided the necessary information to get on and

Art Workshop Christmas Robin at High Elms Country Park

Art Workshop Christmas Robin at High Elms Country Park My next art workshop planned is set in the beautiful natural setting of High Elms – home to a host of British wildlife and countryside birds and plants and past home to John Lubbock, naturalist and friend to neighbour Charles Darwin. This one-off Christmas art workshop offers participants the chance to create a beautiful mixed media plaque featuring Britain’s National Bird and well-known symbol of Christmas – the robin, which you can take home and use as a festive wildlife-themed stocking hanger or decorative wall art. If the weather is good, we might find time to step outside into the wildlife garden to spot a resident robin in its natural habitat. The workshop will include some demos, tips and the chance to try out mixed media art effects - drawing on my experience as a local wildlife and nature artist. All materials will be provided. Refreshments will also be offered but please bring lunch (or visit the on-

British Wildlife Pastel Art

British Wildlife Art in Pastels. Fine art, traditional animal paintings and bird paintings in detail: local wildlife, animals and birds of the countryside - meadows, woods, riversides and gardens. Paintings and drawings undertaken using soft pastels, occasionally enhanced using pastel pencils. Wildlife pastel classes, workshops and demos available. British Wildlife Painting : Pastels British Wildlife Painting : Pastels Countryside Painting : Pheasant British Wildlife Art : Small Mammals

British Wildlife Artist Writer Illustrator

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