THE STORY
Thinking about wildlife conservation can often be pretty depressing, there’s a lot of bad news out there about the state of the environment and the lack of action that governments around the world seem to be prepared to take to safeguard wildlife or indeed wilderness areas. Moments for hope and celebration seem few and far between and if like me you care deeply for nature, it can all become a bit too overwhelming to try and hold on to those moments of hope and not simply become lost in the despair of it all. What once brought us joy becomes painful and heartbreaking.
With this in mind I wanted to create a collection of whimsical artworks that were playful and fun a reminder to still seek joy in our relationship with nature and to not become lost in the despair.
This was the fifth and first non-African species in the series after “Elephant Splash“, “Cheetah Splash“, “Giraffe Splash” and “Purple Roller Splash” . It is based on a portrait of probably one of the most iconic birds in the UK, the Robin.
These little birds, have a personality much larger than their tiny frame. They are inquisitive and friendly, often becoming fairly tame around those that choose to spend a lot of time in their gardens – if you are a gardener you will often have them for company, particularly in the autumn and winter as you dig through beds and prepare the soil (disturb the worms and insects). They sing throughout the winter, often a single lone voice and with their familiar bright red breast they are for me a symbol of hope and joy through the dark, grey winter days and months. It often feels like they sing to remind us of better times and encourage us that we can get through the gloom & despair. That message seemed to fit perfectly with the message at the heart of this series so, whilst here in the UK stuck in the long winter lockdown with a heart yearning for Africa my little Robin, from my own garden joined the series as a reminder that we can get through this and that we should hold on to hope even if times feel dark and overwhelming.
HOW PURCHASING THIS PRINT WILL SUPPORT CONSERVATION:
Whilst most of my artworks and photography prints focus on African wildlife, I am also aware that the challenges facing wildlife and nature aren’t limited too far off lands and exotic creatures. In fact the natural world outside my own front door here in the UK is also struggling. With this in mind I have tried to find a charity that focusing on a broad arching eco-system level conservation project within the UK to support through the sales of my prints that feature UK wildlife and landscapes, surprisingly I have found this more of a challenge then in selecting my African charities.
For now I have chosen a charity I came across several years ago and have followed ever since, they have an ethos that I think matches my own and who also seems to be acting now and delivering results rather than just promising them.
Trees for Life focuses on the Scottish highlands and have several interesting programmes in their attempts to protect nature and “rewild” the areas where they operate. Started in 1993 by Alan Watson Featherstone, he was determined to protect the precious ancient Highland Caledonian forests before they were lost for good. The charity is now recognised as one of the leading experts in wild forest restoration in Scotland and its Dundreggan tree nursery continues to strive to ensure enough rare and hard to grow trees are available to be planted in the Highlands.
One of the reasons I am drawn to this charity, is it’s understanding that a forest is not merely trees, but an interconnected intricate web of life. Whilst their roots are in trees and growing and planting, they have also managed successful re-introductions of red-squirrel and are active in the pursuit of restoring a full ecological balance to these forests, through supporting wildlife conservation. This alongside their latest ambitious project that aims to bring together a coalition of landowners and communities across a large area of the central highlands under the banner “East West Wild”. Based on the principles of similar successful large scale projects in Europe, they hope to unite nature, people and business through the understanding that we are interwoven strands of the same tapestry and that success and wellbeing for the individual parts depends on the health and wellbeing of the whole, to truly thrive we must work with nature and re-find our connection to the land.
If you would like to support them directly or learn more about their work you can visit their website: https://treesforlife.org.uk/
EXTRA INFORMATION:
Instead of offering bulk mass-produced prints, I want you to know that you are buying something special and unique. I feel that people should purchase fine art photography prints because the artwork speaks to them and they feel an emotional connection to the print and the photographer. All my prints are strictly available as low number limited edition runs. As a limited edition print sells its price will appreciate accordingly in the online store, as fewer remain available to purchase.
This picture is printed on archival grade fine art Hahnemühle Photorag paper. If you have not seen this before it a softly textured paper that gives a wonderful quality to an image, really empathising the idea of the texture you would imagine if the bird was actually standing in front of you. It is a brilliant paper for bringing out the subtle tones and textures.
I recommend that when you receive your print that you have it properly mounted and framed by an experienced professional frame shop to ensure the maximum care and longevity of your artwork.
Should you wish to purchase a limited edition print in a different size to that listed, please contact me and I will be happy to discuss your requirements and provide a quote for the cost to produce the print in your desired size. I am also happy to provide quotes for framing or printing onto Chromaluxe if you would like to have your print sent to you ready for you to hang on your wall.
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