I am a wildlife artist, photographer and filmmaker. I like to get to know my wildlife subjects as individuals so that I can capture their unique characters in my art work - like these badgers!
Depicting wildlife on the Yorkshire Wolds
I live high on the Yorkshire Wolds, a beautiful landscape made up of hidden valleys that teem with wildlife. I've following individual badgers, owls, kestrels and stoats and tell their stories through my films, photographs, paintings and sculpture. My love of wildlife informs my artwork and although I have travelled the world to watch wildlife, my favourite animals to watch are those that live here at home.
Getting to know badgers
It has taken me many years, but I am now an accepted member of a badger clan in a hidden Yorkshire Wolds Valley and these animals will let me stroke and feed them by hand. My paintings are so lifelike because I have got to know the individual animals so well. I've touched them, felt their fur, and understand their anatomy. I know their character and I try to get all of this, and my own emotions and feelings about the animal, into my paintings and sculpture. Badgers are very difficult subjects to watch up close because they have been persecuted for so long and are very wary of humans. It has taken years and lots of patience to get the individuals in this badger clan used to me.
Badger watching tricks
One of the tricks I used was to leave a glove or other clothing with my scent on it near their sett so that the badgers would recognise my smell. In order to gain the trust of the badgers in this sett , I also feed them dog biscuits. Not only does this helps me get close up to photograph and film them, it also provides them with an important food source during droughts and difficult times.
