ARTISTS IN THE NATURAL WORLD SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE ARTISTS
Introduction
Artists, lists of works
ARTISTS IN THE NATURAL WORLD
SOCIETY OF WILDLIFE ARTISTS
The original work of wildlife artists was not readily available in the late 1950s, yet this was a time of widespread and growing interest in natural history. In 1960 Robert Gillmor and Eric Ennion organised an exhibition of contemporary bird paintings in the Reading Art Gallery with an aim of creating a society to showcase this work. The success of the exhibition resulted in a two year tour, attracting more artists who would become founder members of the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA). The SWLA held their first exhibition under that name in London in 1964, featuring 149 works by 35 founder members.
The annual SWLA exhibition is held at the prestigious Mall Galleries in October It features all art media, and is considered one of the foremost events in the British wildlife art calendar. This collection of work for Stapleford Granary has been selected from the 2025 Mall Gallery exhibition by artist and SWLA vice president Bruce Pearson. Whilst championing the work of individual artists, the exhibition is also a demonstration of the importance of art to the natural world, through its ability to forge emotional connections between the viewer and the environment. At the Society’s 50th anniversary (2014), Sir David Attenborough gave an inspirational opening address, and spoke vividly about why wildlife art and artistic portrayal of the natural world matters so much;
'There is no child who is not interested in wildlife, and that curiosity in the natural world and life is within the heart of all of us. If you lose that you have lost one of the most precious of humanity’s possessions. With that threat of loss comes increasing awareness of the preciousness of the natural world and we all know that the natural world is now in greater danger than it has ever been'
Carry Akroyd is a painter and printmaker based on the Northamptonshire–Cambridgeshire border. Inspired by arable landscapes and their wildlife, her work explores the meeting of nature and agriculture. Elected to the SWLA in 2000, she won the Terravesta Prize in 2017. Deeply influenced by John Clare, she became President of the John Clare Society in 2016 after 25 years of creating images inspired by his poetry.
Bittern Reedbed, serigraph, £325
Cuckoo River, serigraph, £525
Field, Kites, Cows, ink, paint & crayon, £650
Pochard, serigraph, £325
Richard Allen is an artist and illustrator based in East Anglia amidst the creeks and marshes of the Essex coast A freelance illustrator with over 35 years experience, his work has appeared in many books, newspapers and magazines, as stamp designs, and on interpretation panels for many conservation bodies, including the RSPB and National Trust.
Early Morning Avocets, oil, £950
Late Evening Avocets, oil, £950
Two Drake Wigeon, oil, £650
A printmaker working in a small village in Kent and on the north Norfolk coast, Max Angus’ linocuts have been exhibited at the SWLA annual Natural Eye exhibition also as part of The Discerning Eye at the Mall Galleries in London His artwork can also be seen in independent galleries from Kent to Norfolk.
Always Here, boxwood engraving, £200
I am a Girl (Reindeer), four block linocut £200
Marsh Harrier, four block linocut £340
Rewilding White Storks, four block linocut £380
Based on Fanø in the Wadden Sea, Marco Brodde draws inspiration from the island’s dynamic landscapes and abundant birdlife. Working directly from nature, sketches and prints capture the energy and immediacy of wildlife. In winter, linocuts, drypoints, and monotypes distill the essence of species and experiences. Through his work, he shares the hidden wonders of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Avocet & Oystercatchers, drypoint and carborundum, £550
The Robin & The Old Children Suitcase, drypoint, £550
Anine Cockwell De Jong, originally from the Netherlands and now based near the Fens in Cambridge, draws inspiration from animals and the natural world. Her work reflects a deep fascination with the beauty and diversity of nature, captured through carving. Through her art, she aims to share the sense of wonder and connection that first inspired her to begin creating.
Carcinisation, stone selenite, £2800
Settle, stone blue alabaster, £4000
James Coe is an artist inspired by birds, landscapes, and rural heritage. Beginning as a field guide illustrator, he is best known for Golden Field Guide Eastern Birds. Today, he paints Hudson Valley landscapes, integrating birds observed in the wild with expressive, plein air brushwork. A Signature Member of major art societies, his work is held in prominent museum collections including the New York State Museum and the Massachusetts Audubon Society
Evening Hush, oil on linen mounted on board, £2000
Gathering on the Edge, oil on linen mounted on board, £1300
Lesson on the Flats, oil on linen mounted on board £1500
Persistent Songster, oil on linen mounted on board £1300
Pheasant in the Grass, oil on linen mounted on board £1300
Shelter from the Snow, oil on linen mounted on board £1000
Brin Edwards works from his straw bale studio in Assington, Suffolk A member of the SWLA since 2005, he has served on its council, including four years as Secretary, and won the RSPB Prize in 2010. His residencies include SWLA’s Aig an Oir and RSPB Wallasea Island, and trips with the Artists for Nature Foundation
Bullrush Kingfisher, oil on board, £450
Ringed Plover Sunset, acrylic on board, £595
John Foker, based in a former mining village in County Durham, has been a professional member of SWLA since 2015. Birds feature prominently in his work, but he equally values the colours, textures, and space around them He aims to capture the full atmosphere of a place, conveying the experience of a wildlife encounter rather than a single moment.
Autumn Travellers, oil on board, £620
Green Woodpeckers, oil on board, £490
Robert Greenhalf lives near Rye, East Sussex, and has been a member of SWLA since 1981 and the Rye Society of Artists for around forty years. His solo book Towards the Sea (1999) and collaborations including Baie de Somme and Rye Bay explore landscapes and wildlife. He has contributed to over twenty other publications, including Artists for Nature Foundation projects.
Five Curlews, oil on board, £540
Terns & Cormorants, oil on board, £540
Brents, oil on board, £510
Barn Owl, oil on board, £510
Curlew Creek, oil on board, £1200
Curlews, Ebbing Tide, oil on board, £540
Sandwich Terns, oil on board, £540
Shelduck Family, oil on board, £540
Simon Griffiths first exhibited at SWLA in 2011 and became a Professional Member in 2019. He creates ceramic and bronze sculptures inspired by the wildlife of the North Pennines, a landscape of moorland, wooded valleys, and flowing water. His work blends careful observation with impressionistic freshness, capturing the energy and excitement of each wildlife encounter.
Whisper of the Hare, ceramic, £900