Visual Art’s Ode to Nature

The late wildlife artist David Shepherd set up the UK-based David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) in 1984 to conserve the animals that helped him become a successful artist. The conservation charity works across Africa and Asia to end wildlife crime, and to protect endangered species in their natural habitat.

In 2008, the DSWF founded its annual Wildlife Artist of the Year competition to raise funds and awareness for wildlife conservation. This year, 850 artists from 55 countries entered the competition (in association with BBC Wildlife), and now the winners have been announced. Here we feature some of the short-listed and winning artworks.

All 187 short-listed Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022 artworks are available for purchase on the DSWF website, with 50 percent of the profits going directly to the foundation. The People’s Choice award is yet to be awarded, and anyone can vote on the DSWF website until Sept. 30. To find out more, visit DavidShepherd.org

Kenyan-born artist Gordon Pembridge knows the wild African bush well. He lived in Kenya until he was 10 years old, experiencing the country’s rich wildlife firsthand. Although now based in New Zealand, Pembridge often visits the African bush for artistic inspiration and adventures. In his painting titled “Dappled Respite,” a confusion of guinea fowl shelter in the dappled shade of some dry branches that cast long shadows on the parched savanna. Pembridge has deftly rendered all the different details: the dry grass, the dancing sunlight, and the birds’ dotty feathers and alert wrinkled heads that look and listen for any predators. David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022 competition runner-up: “Dappled Respite” by Gordon Pembridge (New Zealand). Oil painting; 35 3/8 inches by 22 1/2 inches. (Courtesy of DSWF)

“Graceful” wouldn’t be a word normally associated with a rhino, but award-winning wildlife artist Neal Griffin has managed to paint one. In Griffin’s “One Horned Rhino” painting, a rhino slowly wades through shallow water. Sunlight showers down on the animal’s tough skin, illuminating a patchwork of pretty textures. We can almost hear the moving water, and the bird and insect chatter beyond the scene shown. Griffin derived the composition from a friend’s photograph he’d taken on a trip to India. The painting shows what Griffin excels at: capturing the essence of a subject through light, form, and movement. Short-listed finalist in the Facing Extinction category: “One Horned Rhino” by Neal Griffin (UK). Oil painting; 29 7/8 inches by 20 1/8 inches. (Courtesy of DSWF)