This is a unique selection of work assembled exclusively for this display – a celebration of the whale. It includes a few familiar exhibits and artists already represented in Nature in Art’s collection, shown in the company of pieces not previously seen at Nature in Art. In addition, we have developed some supporting activities, a talk, videos and the creation of a participatory artwork, all generously assisted by a grant from The Art Fund as part of The HERDS project.
As well as drawing our attention to the whale species, their beauty and how they can point us to hopeful messages, the exhibition will encourage visitors to think about some of the pressing threats on the marine environment and climate change which cannot be ignored. The exhibition includes both 2D and 3D works, including this bronze sculpture of a humpback whale by Nick Bibby.
Two of the artists, whose work is focused on the marine environment and are exhibiting at Nature in Art for the first time, are Tom Ashworth and Olivier Leger.
Tom is renowned for his depictions of whales. As people arrive at Nature in Art and look right into one of the downstairs galleries they will see his 3.2m wide work made of 6 separate painted panels depicting the head of a sperm whale and a squid.
Tom says of this piece ‘A phone call on the morning of 3rd March 2011 sent me scampering to the coast near to where I live at Pegwell Bay to find a large male sperm whale had beached itself. To see a cetacean out of its element leaves you feeling sadness for its demise while, at the same time, experiencing awe at being in the presence of something totally alien. This work is the fourth actual–size whale painting that I have attempted and is the largest that isn’t a site specific mural. It is based on the Pegwell stranding and inspired in no small part by Philip Hoare’s book ‘Leviathan’.
Accompanying this major piece will be a number of Tom’s smaller works depicting a variety of different whale species. Tom is passionate about whales and has a lifelong interest in cetaceans. He uses whale imagery to explore ideas about conservation, their adaptations to an environment alien to us and how we have related to them throughout our history and culture. His intention is to produce work which lives in the space between fine art and illustration, using acrylic paint or pencil.
Looking left when they arrive, visitors will see in the other gallery Olivier Leger’s 2.2 m wide ink work. Called ‘Whaley McWhaleface’, it took 6 months to create. Olivier told us about how it was created …. ‘To help tackle the scale and complexity, I made a small plan of the composition and sketched the outline onto my drawing board …. then the ideas and details evolved as I worked my way inch-by-inch across the drawing, worked with fine-tipped pen (0.03mm) and ink.
Unlike my previous drawings on paper, this piece is created on a gessoed (a hard primer) board. Whereas paper is unforgiving, this surface allowed me to smudge, sand, scratch, and render in new ways. I broke some rules and I loved it!
A mother humpback whale with her calf embark on a remarkable migration. As you look closer, a thousand tiny details reveal themselves; the ocean animals making their home in the coral reefs that have established on her colossal body. ‘Whaley McWhaleface’ provides sanctuary for the ocean life inhabiting the thriving ecosystems and vibrant habitats she carries, kept safe from humanity’s impact on the sea.
The world’s humpbacks are making a comeback. Their recovery gives hope that our oceans can be restored. ‘Whaley McWhaleface’ is a symbol of that hope. Within her sphere, ocean life thrives; turtles congregate around flourishing coral gardens, a squadron of manta rays hitch a ride on the current and hammerhead sharks school in the shallows.’
Other artists represented in the show include Sir Peter Scott, Darren Rees, Dafila Scott, Martin Hayward-Harris, Nick Bibby, Bruce Pearson, Shelley Perkins, Derek George, Tanya Russell, Beth Erland and others. Many of these works have personal stories behind them. For example, in 1983 Peter Scott spoke at the Whales Alive Conference in the USA. He described a whale- watching excursion he experienced as ‘mind blowing’. He committed his memory to canvas, and the resulting painting is included in this exhibition (left). The animal shown, that breached at least 8 times, once within fifty yards of his boat, was a well-known female humpback who researchers had named ‘Pegasus’ (the name of the painting). Also, one of Darren Rees’s exhibits was worked on while he was artist in residence at Nature in Art; Shelly Perkins’s resulted fr
om her residency with Scott Polar Research in the Antarctic, and Martin Hayward Harris’s sculpture was a maquette for the life-size blue whale at the Natural History Museum in London, that he was involved in making.
Sir Peter was a passionate campaigner for whales and some of his profound words regarding whales will be included in the exhibition. He would want people not only to enjoy the artwork included, but to engage with some of the conservation issues that the artwork highlights.
As part of the exhibition there will be an installation, made by younger visitors in preceding weeks, reflecting on human impact on whales and the marine environment, plus videos to increase our knowledge, including with Elsie Knight, aged 12, interviewing marine researchers.
To complement the exhibition, Chris Butler-Stroud of Whale and Dolphin Conservation will be giving an illustrated talk, ‘People of the Sea’, on July 10th. More details here.
Image: Left: Fin whale and dolphin by Tom Ashworth Below: ‘Take a Breath’ Humpback whales (Batik) by Beth Erlund (USA), and Humpback whale (bronze) by Nick Bibby
Join us on a Saturday morning in June for a free story time in our cosy corner, learning about the environment and how we can help.
Sessions are 10:30 and 11:30, and last 15-20 minutes
14th, 21st and 28th June
Suitable for all children, but aimed at little ones
Free, no need to book
With thanks to The HERDS x Art Fund
British Wildlife Photography Awards 2025
July 22nd – September 7th
Kingdom of the Hare by Drew Buckley / BWPA
This prestigious competition has toured the UK since 2009, celebrating the talent of wildlife photographers in the UK whilst highlighting the beauty of British landscape and wildlife, as well as contemporary issues in conservation, biodiversity and climate change. This is an exhibition suitable for all ages, ready to inspire young minds and challenge some of us older ones.
See more of the winning entries HERE
The winning photograph, “Urban Explorer” by Simon Withyman, was taken in Bristol in 2023, capturing a fox’s ‘beauty in [the] everyday urban scene’. A wedding photographer by profession, he has spent three years trailing this particular vixen across the city. It is a striking look at city wildlife, the vixen looking down the camera in the midst of Bristol’s tower blocks. It also speaks to the dedication of wildlife photographers, Withyman having lost track of the fox for a period and rediscovering it across the city, driven by a love of the species.
This award explores not just urban wildlife but a whole host of categories, from ‘Botanical Britain’ and ‘Animal Portraits’ to ‘Coast & Marine’ and ‘Wild Woods’, promising a rich view of British photography talents. As visitors walk through the exhibition, they can embark on a visual journey across the UK, discovering hidden gems and moments of wonder in the most unexpected places. For young photographers, it is a chance to see where their passion could lead, while for seasoned enthusiasts, it offers fresh inspiration and a renewed appreciation for their craft.
As always, entry to this exhibition is included in admission fee.
The Gloucestershire Coloured Pencil Artists are a new group of local artists who met through an online Drawing Academy course. Brought together by a shared love of coloured pencils, they now meet regularly as friends to support and inspire one another. After realising they had created a strong body of work, the idea to exhibit their drawings naturally followed.
Coloured pencils are ideal for capturing fine detail, making them perfect for portraying the beauty of nature. Each piece is built up slowly over many hours, with colour carefully layered and blended one stroke at a time. Using both oil-based and wax-based pencils, the artists are able to create depth, shadow, and texture in their work.
Their love for the medium has not only strengthened their connection as a group but also inspired them to promote coloured pencil art more widely and share its creative potential with others.
Join them in the Wallsworth Centre from 28th July to 10th August to see their work.
Art & sculpture inspired by British big cat encounters
With evidence from DNA and tooth marks on bones, Britain’s big cats are emerging from myth to reality. These reported pumas, black leopards & lynx are now represented in art, as people have been moved to illustrate them.
The artwork includes witnesses who did their own visual impressions, food and drink companies branding their product with the local beast, artists illustrating books, poetry & posters, and sculptors bringing these secret predators to life.
A range of these works will be displayed in the Wallsworth Centre, 12th-22nd August
The event is stewarded by witnesses of big cats in Britain.
See the art, meet the witnesses, hear about evidence!
2D and 3D works by artists from Gloucestershire Society of Artists. This is their 101st Annual Exhibition. Most exhibits are for sale.
In the Education Centre, free to visit
Come and ex
plore a special display in our Education Centre, created to coincide with Heritage Open Days (12th–14th). This engaging exhibition offers a rare opportunity to jump into the rich and varied social history of Wallsworth Hall. Through photographs, historic documents and more, you’ll discover stories from its past, from its earliest days and original purpose, to the many ways it has evolved over time.
Perfect for history enthusiasts, families, and anyone curious about local heritage, this exhibition invites you to pause, look closer, and connect with the past.
Free to enter, in the Education Centre.
Totally Tactile is a fully tactile exhibition where visitors will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with all the exhibits. From wood to metal, from realistic animals to abstract interpretations, this is a fantastic opportunity to engage with art in a way you might not usually get to! We will ask visitors to pop on blindfolds if they are sighted and invite everyone to take their time touching and thinking about the artwork in front of them. There will be a mix of artworks from the main collection, our reference library and other items kindly lent to us for this special occasion. This exhibition will also mark the introduction of audio guides across galleries for those who need it – we are aiming for the majority of our objects on display to have accompanying audio description by September. We will also have a small number of tablets available to borrow, with high contrast images of our artwork on for visually impaired visitors to take in at their own pace.
This exhibition recently featured on ITV.
Join us for a chance to see the winners of the Wildlife Art Society International’s 2025 exhibition! Located in the Education Centre, this exhibition is free to visit. Meet TWASI artists demonstrating every day:
- 7th SARAIS CRAWSHAW Paper cuts and painting
- 8th BRIDGET CORDORY Batik and Painting
- 9th VALERIE BRIGGS Drawing
- 10th ERIC WATSON Pastels and graphite
- 11th AGNESE DAVIES Wool, wood and wire sculpture
- 12th CHRIS SAUNDERSON Watercolour
Images left to right: Sarais Crawshaw, Lucy D’Auvergne, Chris Saunderson, Sophie Parkhill
We are delighted to announce that Sketch for Survival, the international art initiative from conservation charity Explorers Against Extinction, will make its debut at Nature in Art this autumn. Now in its ninth year, this inspiring exhibition will be on display from 21 October – 16 November 2025, offering visitors a first chance to see the 2025 collection in full.
Every artwork in Sketch for Survival carries a message. Whether it portrays a threatened species, highlights an at-risk habitat, or reflects a wider conservation story, the art is designed to spark conversation and raise awareness about the urgent issues facing our natural world.
Since the initiative began, it has attracted artists from an incredible 119 different countries, united by a shared concern for wildlife and wild spaces. From thousands of entries received this year, just 100 artworks have been selected by our expert selection panel, chaired by renowned wildlife artist Gary Hodges. Each of these pieces has been donated by the artist, supporting both the campaign fund and the message behind it.
The exhibition at Nature in Art m
arks the start of the Sketch for Survival 2025 tour. Following its debut here, the collection will move to the Oxo Tower Wharf in London, where the works will be available to view and bid for via online auction. The auction opens for browsing on 17 October and concludes at the close of the Oxo exhibition on 23 November.
Funds raised will support frontline conservation projects around the globe. In 2025, these range from protecting pangolins in Malawi, to safeguarding tigers in India, and conserving red pandas in Nepal.
We hope you will join us at Nature in Art to experience this powerful exhibition, which demonstrates how creativity and compassion can combine to make a tangible difference for the planet.