British Wildlife Artist Writer Illustrator

Art Competition Kent - submissions by 19th October. Wildlife and Nature. ‘Capturing Cranbrook’ Art Competition in Kent 2022, Cranbrook. I'm so pleased to be included as one of judges in the Wildlife and Nature Art Competition 'Capturing Cranbrook' by Berkeley Group and can't wait to go through the fabulous entries!  Art Competition Kent Berkeley Group Submissions can still be accepted until 19th October via  Berkeley's dedicated website for 'Capturing Cranbrook'   so do get your pencils and paints out if you'd like the chance to feature in Cranbrook pop-up exhibition and/or win  countryside and nature art prizes to be up to £150 of professional artist materials for each category. For my top 5 tips in creating successful wildlife and nature art, check out the article in the Times of Tunbridge Wells' sister publication SO Magazine  A rt Competition Kent - Berkeley Group - Times of Tunbridge Wells Magazine . ***There are also a few past posts in my side...

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...

Wildlife Art in Kent. Local Wildlife Art Competition - closes 19th October 2022. Cranbrook, in the beautiful Weald of Kent, is the focus of a wildlife and nature art competition courtesy of Berkeley Group.  Times of Tunbridge Wells SO Magazine Advertisement Feature by Berkeley Group Capturing Cranbrook New and experienced wildlife artists are invited to photograph, paint and/or sketch the beauty of the local nature and wildlife in Cranbrook and the surrounding countryside, as part of their exciting community Capturing Cranbrook community initiative. Earlier in the year, just as spring was appearing, I was asked by Berkeley Homes Group to run some wildlife art workshops.  I was delighted, also, to be asked to judge for their Cranbrook wildlife and nature art competition in the autumn!  Some hints and tips for drawing and painting wildlife coming soon...

National Honey Show - Mixed Media Art Workshop. Thanks to my mixed media workshop participants the other day at the National Honey Show – a lovely group who produced some fantastic pieces that were amongst the most imaginative that I’ve seen from a workshop that I’ve run. It can be tricky creating a masterpiece out of nothing but the imagination – I hope my resources and open techniques will give the attendees the knowledge and new skills they need to feel happy experimenting and to create their own wonderful mixture of mixed media bee art! Here's a piece I created a while ago. I was happy with the honey colours but wondered how it would look with another colour – I find mixed media art can be an ongoing process! I changed the background colour in patches and quite like the broken effect seen here - when I return to mixed media at some point I will know roughly what effect I will be after! Mixed media is great fun and a relaxing way to spend some art time – if only there ever was ‘...

Back at Sandown Park Race Course for the National Honey Show brings memories of a wonderful past with horses I'm looking forward to painting bees and horses next year! It was lovely to be back at Sandown Park the other day, for the National Honey Show; it brings past memories of riding barely broken-in ponies from the grand age of 5 years old – who would do that to a child!  It’s where a loved family member raced many moons ago – can’t name him as too famous (him, not me!) but a race takes place in his honour at Sandown Park Race Course (and other places each year). We had a family tradition of putting on a small bet each spring – 50p – I never realised its significance in my early days, just thought it was a treat! Sunset and Sandown Perhaps it was in my genes – I also enjoyed racing, as such… taking the saddle off and pretending to be a jockey – often to my detriment as it was usually too much temptation for my highly-strung pony with an extreme attitude.  He saw it as red ‘...

Art Events : Local Art Exhibition in Croydon The Croydon Art Society is holding its annual exhibition of members' works in Croydon at The Croydon Clocktower, Exhibition Gallery. This exhibition marks The Society's 130th Annual Exhibition. Steeped in local art history and with an ever-growing list of excellent artwork to add to its record, Croydon Art Society boasts a number of well-known past artist members and is still recognised today for its artists and artwork - locally and further afield - even as winner of The Artist and Leisure Painter Magazines Art Club of the Year 2018. Local watercolour artist Cicily Mary Barker of the Flower Fairies was a life-long past member.   Art Events : Local Art Exhibition Croydon A host of subjects will be on display, including: portraits, landscapes, still life and wildlife, plus pet portraits, boats, cars and a whole deal more for a super art display. Well-worth a visit! Artwork will include a variety of professional g...

Mixed Media Art Workshops What better way to gain an appreciation of mixed media art than to attend a mixed media art workshop!   Mixed media art gained publicity with Pablo Picasso, when the term was coined, and modern mixed media artists over the last hundred years, or so, but the art of using more than one medium, or media, has been a way of creating art for hundreds of years; illuminated manuscripts, as an example that is usually associated with traditional art, combined ink, paint and gold leaf. Mixed media art simply brings together more than one medium: watercolour, oil, gouache, ink, paper, gold leaf, materials, objects; any number of these can be used in a variety of ways and combinations to create a piece of art. It can be bold or subtle and range from almost 3d to virtually flat in design. It can be abstract, modern, traditional or a mixture of different styles. However or whatever mixed media art is – it is a fun creative way to develop ar...

Sketch Woodland Wildlife and Habitats Come along to an outdoor art workshop to sketch nature and enjoy a little time outside this summer under the canopy of native woodland in a historic country park. Workshop: Friday 30th August 2019 : 9am - 1pm Sketch Woodland Wildlife and Habitats This workshop is suitable for anyone who enjoys nature and would like to creatively record their findings in a sketchbook or nature journal. Bring your own sketchbook, nature journal or paper, a pencil and anything else, including colours, that you would like to use to seize the spirit of the outdoors. Nature Journaling, or Nature Sketching Nature sketching, or journaling – it doesn’t matter how you describe it –  helps make a note of your personal thoughts and memories of the moment. It can help discover more about the local wildlife and habitats encountered outside. It can become a reference for creative or more detailed art activities later. Get Started Upon arriving at BE...

Wildlife Garden Bees and Flowers. This garden sketching workshop will focus on the Wildlife Garden at High Elms Country Park this summer: bees, flowers, plants and fruit, birds, butterflies, bugs, pond-life and even a natural history specimen of a rabbit, in case the regular rabbit visitor doesn't make an appearance on sketching day ! Workshop: Friday 16th August 2019 : 9am - 1pm Join us to create botanical sketches and detailed observations of bees and flowers, fruit and trees, birds and pond life from the Wildlife Garden; sketches can be used as preparation for later artwork and nature compositions or as a record of your memories from the garden visit. Add notes to sketches from garden species to use as reference material for further inquiry into the wildlife and plants that grab your attention. We will be based in and around BEECHE Visitor Centre, spending time outdoors for as much of the workshop as possible. You will have the opportunity to observe, sketch and mak...

Nature Garden Sketches. Nature Art Workshop: filling the sketchbook with flowers, fruits and flyers from the country park garden. Workshop: Saturday 10th August 2019 : 11am - 3pm Visit High Elms Country Park this summer for a relaxing day out, sketching its formal gardens and wild patches: nature garden sketches of flowers, fruits and flyers (butterflies, bees, birds, dragonflies) are in abundance in the gardens and wildlife patches of this beautiful country park managed by id verde for Bromley Council and historically linked to Kent countryside, just along the road from the home of Charles Darwin. You will be offered refreshments upon arrival and meet the BEECHE Educational Team Member, whilst you view, sketch and make brief notes on the natural history items displayed at the BEECHE Visitor Centre. We will then walk a short distance to take in the view across the formal gardens and pause briefly to sketch the garden landscape. Capture the different flower and ...

Pond Sketching Workshop at High Elms Country Park Art event in and around London and Kent. An outdoor art workshop for artists, non-artists, nature-lovers and nature experts - anyone who enjoys spending relaxing time outdoors. Workshop: Friday 9th August 2019 : 9am - 1pm Pond Sketching Workshop : London, Kent. Jump-start a nature journal or simply fill up your sketchbook with views and discoveries from in and around the pond: S ketch the pond plants, wildlife and birds that frame the pond above water to make a record of the pond landscape in your sketchbook.  Fill your journal with sketches of the textures of the bulrushes , the patterned feathers of a waterbird, the structures and flying motions of dragons and damsels. Try out pond-dipping and wonder at the strange anatomies of the underwater pond-life that appears magical beneath magnifiers - have a go at drawing them. Possibly see water boatmen, stickleback, newts, frogs, water skaters and water sn...

Sketch Nature Workshops at High Elms Country Park. Art workshops this Summer : Kent, London, Sussex, Surrey. Sketch Nature Workshops. BOOKINGS AVAILABLE NOW! High Elms Country Park Introduction to Summer Nature Sketching Outdoor Workshops SKETCH NATURE : ART WORKSHOPS : Introduction to outdoor Summer Sketching at High Elms, on the borders of Kent and London. ‘ Bright and happy thoughts, contentment and peace of mind’ - Lubbock, past owner of High Elms. Follow the footsteps of Sir John Lubbock who enjoyed spending time outdoors observing the natural world around his home, which is now a local nature reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) situated on the borders of London and K ent, but also within reach from areas of Surrey and Sussex. U nwind as you observe and sketch some of the local nature and habitats within the grounds of this beautiful countryside . It is l ocated just along the road from the home of Charles Darwin in Kent,...

Art Events : Art Exhibition Surrey The Croydon Art Society is once again holding an exhibition of members' works at the prestigious and beautiful landscape of Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking Surrey. Art Events : Art Exhibition Surrey : Croydon Art Society Artwork will include a variety of professional grade paintings using watercolour, pastels, oils, acrylics and mixed media. A host of subjects will be on display, including: portraits, landscapes, still life and wildlife, plus pet portraits, boats, cars and a whole deal more for a super art display. Art exhibition not far from London, Surrey, Sussex and Kent borders.

Nature Sketching Workshops Sketching outdoors takes many forms! Come along this Summer to High Elms Country Park, for some outdoor sketching workshops! There are many ways to enjoy and benefit from sketching! The outdoor sketching at High Elms is a combination of several forms of sketching. Here are some different approaches to filling a sketchbook that will be woven into the four nature sketching workshops created by Claire Murthy, local wildlife and nature artist. Landscape sketching. It can be the long, drawn out days of Summer, out in the wildflower fields, plein air sketching - a traditional way to capture beautiful scenery, surrounding wildlife and buildings and serve as aide-memoire to the experience or to be used later as reference work for landscape paintings and drawings. At High Elms we will be doing some quick landscape sketches of pond areas, woodland patches, wildlife gardens and formal gardens to record the habitats and environments of different plant, animal ...

Online Auction Bids are now closed for a beautiful painting of a cherished pet (or special wildlife character. For more samples visit pet portraits.   Thanks to everyone who placed a bid in the auction! Congratulations to the winning bidder who will receive a custom portrait of their pet over the Summer!

With different art projects, workshops, classes and events happening over the past year, it’s all too easy to get on with the work and not have time to reflect on the wildlife charities, nature societies, bird observatories and art courses that bring so much benefit to the wildlife world through their work. Here’s something from a few months ago, which I enjoyed being involved in.  Bird Art Auction. SBBOT. Wildlife Drawing. It was a great pleasure to be invited to contribute a donation of artwork, to help raise funds through the SBBOT Art Auction for their worthwhile wildlife conservation project, which hopes to secure and develop a local plot of land for wildlife in the area. Early engagement with wildlife and birds in and around the garden and natural wildlife landscapes is carried for life; lying in the grass, climbing trees, pond-dipping, paddling, wandering, wondering. It is far more involved and rewarding than simply spotting birds. There is a never-ending jour...

The National Honey Show - 'the UK's premier honey show with international classes, lecture convention and workshops.' 'New this year: a display of wildlife and bee art by Claire Murthy Art Illustrations with mini demos and hands on activites for small groups of children (and big children). Visit Stand 54 for more information.' The National Honey Show : Wildlife art display

Charity Art Auction Online bidding ended on October 25th. The auction continued the next day at 7.30pm at St Mary's Church in Sandwich - it raised a fantastic £4000 !