Throughout his long career, David enjoyed numerous successful one-man exhibitions around the world, published five books and was the subject of numerous TV programmes, including the BBC’s 1972 documentary of his life story, The Man Who Loves Giants. To date it has invested more than nine million pounds in key front line projects across Africa and Asia, that are helping to secure a future for threatened wildlife in natural habitats. For more than thirty years it has worked to influence policy, shift attitudes and provide an unwavering voice for wildlife conservation from grass roots to the world stage. Today, the Foundation’s vision is ‘The Art of Survival’: to fight, protect and engage on behalf of endangered wildlife around the world. His campaigns have won widespread public support and delivered considerable success, as well as receiving conservationist awards. In 1984, David set up the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation in order to repay his debt to the animals that had given him so much success as an artist. His subjects were painted with dignity and grandeur and his compositions allowed them to take centre stage amongst the breath taking scenery of his beloved Africa.ĭavid’s technique of combining photorealism with his broad impressionist style and his impeccably accurate palette, instantly strikes a chord with the viewer, but above all it is his love of the animals that shines through in his paintings creating an instant empathy for them with his audience. Throughout his career David was inspired to protect the elephants, tigers and other animals that he depicted with such delight. In the following years, David’s popularity grew and he quickly became the celebrated artist and conservationist for which he is remembered today. It was also on this time trip in Kenya that David became passionate conservationist overnight when he saw 255 zebra poisoned to death by poachers. On consignment in Kenya, inspired by the animals that he encountered, he painted his first wildlife painting which would change the course of his career a rhinoceros chasing a Twin Pioneer aeroplane, capturing two of his great passions. As a boy, he dreamt of becoming a game warden to no avail, and was fortunate when his early artistic career as an aviation artist led to a commission from the RAF in 1960. David’s distinctive style stems from a personal attachment with the animals of Kenya. David Shepherd (1931-2017) is considered to be one of the finest wildlife artists of the last one hundred years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |