Charlie Page / British Wildlife Photography Awards
The British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) is a revered showcase of nature photography in Britain and a crucial reminder of what value our woodlands, wetlands and other ecosystems still hold.
This will be one of the very first showings of the winning images from the 2023 competition, launched in March. This renowned exhibition celebrates British wildlife and wild spaces through a collection of inspirational images, showcasing the best of our natural heritage.
More than 13,000 images were submitted into this year’s competition. Photographers competed in 10 different categories in the adult competition: Animal Behaviour, Animal Portraits, Botanical Britain, Black & White, British Seasons, Coast & Marine, Habitat, Hidden Britain, Urban Wildlife, and Wild Woods. There were 3 age groups in the young competition: 11 and Under, 12-14 years, and 15-17 years.
Each year, the BWPA images are adored in the press (both in print and on TV), toured around the UK in a travelling exhibition, and published in beautiful collection books.
BWPA has a number of key aims:
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Recognise the talents of photographers practising in the UK, whilst highlighting the great wealth and diversity of Britain’s natural history.
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Celebrate British wildlife and wild spaces through a collection of inspirational photographs.
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Showcase the very best of our nature photography to a wide audience and engage all ages with evocative and powerful imagery.
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Encourage discovery, exploration, conservation and enjoyment of our natural heritage.
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Raise awareness about British biodiversity, species, and habitats.
There is no extra cost for this exhibition – entry is included in the admission price to the museum.
Billy Evans-Freke / British Wildlife Photography Awards
One World Imagined is an art collective consisting of five award-winning artists David Skidmore, Christine Dadd, Valerie Briggs, Jess Pritchard and Jordan Price each specialising in depicting the natural world. Working in a variety of mediums, oil, graphite and carbon pencil, coloured pencil, acrylic and watercolour, with subject matter both British and worldwide, on land, sea and air.
Meet exhibiting artists every day:
- Christina Dadd 22nd – 24th August
- Valerie Briggs 25th – 26th August
- David Skidmore 27th – 31st August
- Jess Pritchard 28th – 31st August
- Jordan Price and Valerie Briggs 31st August – 3rd September
David Skidmore:
David works mainly in pencil and acrylic, although enjoys experimenting with most mediums. He aims to produce work that is informative and at times thought provoking. His main focuses are the natural world and the human figure. He contributes work to several organisations to raise money for wildlife and environmental issues.
https://www.davidskidmoreart.co.uk/
Jess Pritchard:
Jess works solely in pencil. From a young age she had a passion for both art and wildlife and began her professional art career seven years ago. Jess is an artist ambassador for Derwent Art, Britain’s largest pencil brand and has also raised thousands of pounds for various wildlife charities.
Christine Dadd:
Christine has a unique style of wildlife painting creating closeness with the subject by focusing on key animal characteristics. She paints mostly in oils on untreated linen. She says: ‘This gives me the texture and feel of the subjects, especially the wildlife from Africa.’ Well travelled, her most recent trip was to Brazil which informs some of her latest works.
Jordan Price:
Jordan’s artist journey began after attending a wildlife exhibition and seeing a pencil drawing that ‘I believed was a photograph’. Her says, ‘I was 19 years old and for the first time I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. To capture the beauty of wildlife that surrounds us in pencil art.’
https://www.jordanpriceart.co.uk/
Valerie Briggs:
Valerie has been drawing and painting in watercolour the flora and fauna of the British Isles for over 4o years. She is especially drawn to the natural and man-made waterways, which provide green corridors for a wildlife population under the constant threat of urbanisation.
As part of Heritage Open Days 2023, there will be two talks held at Nature in Art on Friday 8th September.
Wallsworth Hall has a curiously obscure history. A fine Georgian mansion situated just north of Gloucester, it featured in Simon Jenkins’s acclaimed book ‘England’s 1000 Best Houses’. Since 1988 the hall has been the home of Nature in Art, the world’s first museum dedicated to art inspired by Nature. This talk by the Director, Simon Trapnell will provide a fascinating insight into the hall and the Nature in Art collection.
This talk will take place in the Education Centre, both at 11am and 3pm on Friday 8th September 2023.
Free entry, booking essential.
11am talk – book a place.
3pm talk – book a place.
FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
Richard will guide you through the process, from the use of the cutting tools, transferring an image onto the lino and cutting the block, through to the final inking and printing. There will be a choice of smaller blocks, which can be printed through the press, or a larger block, which may need hand burnishing.
Materials List:
All materials will be provided for an additional fee of £5 per person payable directly to Richard on the day of the course. Please bring an apron or wear old clothes as the water based ink can stain.
Artist’s Profile:
Richard is an award winning, Leicestershire based Wildlife Artist/Printmaker. He works from field sketches and direct observation. His prints have been exhibited widely and used by the RSPB as Christmas cards and in several books by Mascot Media. Richard recently published book ‘ My A – Z of British Wildlife’ is an alphabetical ramble through the British countryside. He was elected as member of ‘The Society of Wildlife Artists’ (SWLA) in 2019.
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
A major display of turned wood by members of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. The pre-emminent organisation of its type, with international members and profile, this display brings together a huge range of styles, techniques and woods. It is a celebration of craftsmanship and the beauty in wood – art in nature.
Just as the British Wildlife Photography Awards includes images by younger photographers, so this display will highlight the work of a group of young turners being coached and mentored by members of the Register of Professional Turners. These will be displayed alongside items by established wood turners, mostly based in the south west, south Wales and Midlands area.
The AWGB is a national charity which aims to promote woodturning to ensure the craft continues and to advance education in woodturning. It currently has over 3000 members, including makers abroad. There are 50 local UK branches, including in Gloucestershire.
SEE WOODTURNERS IN ACTION:
19th Steve Gordon
20th Paul Hannaby
21st Brian Ford
22nd Barry Starkey
23rd Jeff Belcher
24th Jeff Belcher
26th Brian Ford
27th Mike Macey
28th Keith Fenton
29th Peter Dixon
30th Steve Gordon
1st Rod Tester
Many exhibits will be for sale
FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Beginners -Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
Explore the techniques required to complete this portrait using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils on Hot Pressed Watercolour Paper over 2 days. A line drawing is supplied to copy or trace so no need to be worried about drawing “free hand”.
Materials List:
All materials will be supplied by the tutor free of charge.
Artist’s Profile:
Karen Coulson is a coloured pencil artist as well as a tutor specialising in wildlife and animal portraits. She enjoys incorporating unusual backgrounds behind her subject which indulges her love of colour.
Karen is a Gold Signature Member of the UKCPS (United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society). She has won many awards for her artwork including “Best Fantasy/Abstract” picture at the UKCPS Annual International Exhibition in 2014.
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
Explore the techniques required to draw these 2 delightful birds using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils on mount board. A line drawing is supplied to copy or trace so no need to be worried about drawing “free hand”.
Materials List:
All materials will be provided by the tutor free of charge.
Artist’s Profile:
Karen Coulson is a coloured pencil artist as well as a tutor specialising in wildlife and animal portraits. She enjoys incorporating unusual backgrounds behind her subject which indulges her love of colour.
Karen is a Gold Signature Member of the UKCPS (United Kingdom Coloured Pencil Society). She has won many awards for her artwork including “Best Fantasy/Abstract” picture at the UKCPS Annual International Exhibition in 2014.
Course Costs:
Members: £48
Non-members: £59
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))
A unique exhibition to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Society of Wildlife Artists.
2D and 3D works by members who have played an important role in the journey of the Society thus far, including work by all its past-presidents. The SWLA continues to be a hugely influential organisation delighting in the natural world through fine art.
About The SWLA:
Back in the late 1950’s, the original work of wildlife artists was not readily available even though it was a time of widespread and growing interest in natural history. With a society of artists in mind which might seize such an opportunity, Robert Gillmor and Eric Ennion, with the enthusiastic support of Keith Shackleton and Peter Scott, organised an exhibition of contemporary bird paintings in the Reading Art Gallery in 1960. It then went on tour for a year. Such was the interest, the tour was extended and R.B. Talbot-Kelly and Maurice Wilson joined the organisers to plan a society to build on the momentum. They began inviting founder members and the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) was formed.
Their first exhibition (1964) featured 149 works by 35 founder members. Today it has 63 elected members and 3 Associate Members. Their annual show ‘Natural Eye has over 300 works. In 1990 The SWLA became a registered charity through which it arranges exhibitions, publications, bursaries and partnerships delivered through the energy of individual artist members, many of whom are celebrated in this unique selection.
This exhibition highlights the work of some of the key drivers of the Society through its life. Sadly some of the founder members are no longer alive – people like Hugh B. Cott, Eric Ennion, Sir Peter Scott, Eileen Soper, John Busby, Richard Talbot-Kelly, Robert Gillmor, David Koster, Keith Shakleton, David Measures and David Shepherd, but their legacy lives on through initiatives of the Society and the work of its current artists.
Unfortunately this talk has been postponed until next year. A new date will be announced later in the year.
Richard is a well known and engaging lecturer, author, tutor and regular artist in residence at Nature in Art.
‘Brutes, birds and all kind of beasties have, throughout history, been endowed with symbolic meanings, attributed to historical characters and have appeared in many myths and legends. This talk will illustrate examples of this with artistic representations from various cultures since history began’.
An evening for all.
£10 per person.
Course Suitability: Absolute beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
This is a two day course that will show you how to paint seasides and coastlines with acrylic paint. During the course you will be shown how to mix colours, paint skies, trees and sea water and how to paint in an impressionistic style. Other techniques will include using thick and thin paint, glazing and using a palette knife. By the end of the two days you will have created to paintings. Suitable for beginners and students with some knowledge of the medium.
Materials List:
The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £32 which will be paid to me by the participants on the day of the course.
Should the students wish to use their own tools and materials instead then they are welcome to bring them along. A full list of what is needed can be obtained from the tutor jnewey210@gmail.com
Artist’s Profile:
Jonathan Newey is an award winning artist with over 20 years of experience in teaching in adult education. He has experience in a wide variety of mediums and subjects including landscapes, wildlife and architecture in acrylic, watercolour and coloured pencil.
Course Costs:
Members: £96
Non-members: £118
(cost does not include lunch (available to order and purchase on the day from the Coffee Shop))