What Inspired You to Draw Them?
During the Covid lock down, we all had plenty of time to slow life down! As our only activity was to go out for a walk, most of us reconnected with nature realising how essential it was for our mental well-being. We are so lucky to have our green spaces and wildlife and, as most things in life, we tend to take them for granted until we lose them.
I wanted to commemorate our British wildlife with a collection that celebrates their beauty and how vital they are to us. A proportion of the profits will be given to support conservation specifically in the UK to www.wildlifetrust.org supporting their incredible work given half of our wildlife are in decline.
By giving a gift of British nature to your loved one, it also gives back for long into the future by helping future generations to enjoy the gift of nature.
Barn Owl, Be Wiser Everyday
Who couldn’t adore the sheer beauty of the barn owl? The Barn Owl has excellent low-light vision, and can easily find prey at night by sight. But its ability to locate prey by sound alone is the best of any animal that has ever been tested. It can catch mice in complete darkness in the lab, or hidden by vegetation or snow out in the real world. It amazes me how nature adapts species to survive and we have rarely been tested around the world in our need to adapt as during the pandemic so the owl has a special place in my collection.
Deer - Good Morning Deer
One of my favourite places to visit is Tatton Park National Trust watching the ancient deer herd wander freely around. Me and my mum, Josie, love to observe them gracefully grazing and sheltering under the trees. During Autumn, we actually get to see the stags bellowing as they call for their mates which is a sight to behold. They are so beautiful and deserve their rightful place in this collection.
Hedgehog - 'Sending You A Hedgehug'
How cute is the hedgehog!? They are our little friends in the garden, if we are lucky enough to have them visit! The British Hedgehog Preservation Society says that there may be as few as 1 million hogs left in the UK today, a reduction of 50% in 20 years! I hope by sharing a ‘hedgehug’ with our loved ones, I can donate profits to support this most adorable little fella so we can all look forward to a garden visit!
Fox - 'Bright Eyed & Bushy Tailed'
The fox has fascinated me my whole life and their beauty is remarkable! Their fluffy tail and vivid autumnal colour is exquisite. They are known to be wily and able to survive and adapt to any environment. I think we’ve all felt we’ve had to adapt in recent times and I bet we could learn a lot from our British Red Fox! The collection wouldn’t be complete without him!
Badger - 'The Beauty of Black ‘n’ White'
The badger is a celebrated native British wildlife so it was obvious to choose them for my British Wildlife Collection although I chose this adorable little creature for more than the obvious reasons. I feel our lives are full of complexity balancing work and family life with financial pressures. When I feel overwhelmed, nature helps to calm and soothe my mind and I have come to depend on it more and more. I have intentionally stripped away layers of small things which were within my control to simplify my life and reduce stress, which in itself is not easy. Our lives are full of shades of grey and I wanted a simple ‘black ‘n’ white’ life which I feel nature seeks to achieve. This painting, therefore, represents us striving to reconnect with nature and enjoy a more simple life.
Squirrel - A Squirrel’s Tale
Grey Squirrels are a common sight for most people across the UK whilst our native Red Squirrel is limited to a small number of places. After being around for 10,000 years in Britain, there are now estimated to be just 140,000 compared to 2.5 million Grey Squirrels and could disappear in just 10 years! I, therefore, wanted to tell the story of our Red Squirrel needing our urgent help to save this most glorious creation and is the reason for the name of this painting. This collection would not be complete without it and I also get to support its future by donating a proportion of the profits to www.wildlifetrust.org.
Swan - Swan Lake Sunset
I just love to watch the swans at Tatton Park National Trust floating by on the mere, especially in the springtime as they are followed by their young all in a row! They are so graceful and calm my busy mind by just watching them. The simple pleasures in life are the best and a flask of tea while painting this swan while watching them just doesn’t get any better for me. The colour teal is my absolute favourite and so inspired by the water effect in the background. All unmarked swans are owned by the Queen and are now protected. I wish all our British Wildlife were protected like this. So they had to have a place in my collection with the hope that one day that wish may come true.
Kingfisher - Going Fishing!
The Kingfisher is an unmistakable bright blue and orange bird flying over our slow moving rivers and waterways. Have you ever seen one in real life? For those of us that have, you will never forget the experience! There are less than 8,000 pairs in the UK and are in decline. They are unashamedly bright and bold, do you know someone like this in your life? I love to think of the qualities of animals and who they remind me of in my life. This gorgeous bird just had to be included in my collection and represents all the bright, bold people that bring a smile!
I hope you enjoyed the stories!
Lots of love
Collette xx