An interview with Gayle Mason SOFA

This is the last in the series of interviews with the three UKCPS members who have had their work accepted for the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009 exhibition to be held at the Mall Galleries, London from 1st-6th June 2009.

Today it's the turn of Gayle Mason.

Hot Spot
a finalist in Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009
8" x 20", coloured pencils on Arches HP
copyright Gayle Mason

What's your approach to wildlife art? Why are you interested in it?

Animals are my passion, - studying them, living with them, painting and drawing them. I'm fascinated by the detail in nature and strive to capture it in pencil or paint.

Recent family holidays have been chosen because they are places rich in wildlife. Last summer I was lucky enough to photograph a wild Grizzly bear feeding on a Bison carcase in the Yellowstone National Park in the USA.

How do you generate your reference photos?

By spending hours in the field or at Wildlife Parks waiting with my camera to snap that 'perfect' shot!

I've recently combined two hobbies, bird watching and painting to add birds to the dogs, cats and wildlife in my portfolio. I'm lucky enough to have a wide range of bird species which visit my garden. My drawing table is next to the window which looks out on to the garden and I spend hours with my camera ready next to me as I draw. You can see some of the results on my blog Fur in the Paint.

What's the story behind your piece and why did you choose to enter this one?

We spent New Year in the Highlands of Scotland. One day we visited Loch Fleet and I was lucky enough to capture this little Stoat with my camera. He was dashing about amongst some huge boulders right on the shore of the Loch and every so often he would pause and look at me.

When I saw the image I was immediately struck by the fact that his life will be a tiny spark compared to the eons the boulders have, and will, endure. I tried to convey that message in the drawing. The title 'Hot Spot' has a double meaning, the spark of life and the fact that on a bitterly cold day the Stoat was indeed the 'hot spot'

What pencils and support did you use for your artwork and why did you choose them?

I nearly always use Arches Hot Press Watercolour paper when I'm using mixed media. Although I often try different surfaces Arches is the one I always return to. For this particular piece I used several French Grey coloured pencils, a mixture of Polychromos and Prismacolor. I prefer Polychromos because they are slightly harder and retain a point longer. The stoat himself was painted in acrylic and there are also are several acrylic glazes over the rocks, which were added to give depth to the painting

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist

I've always been interested in animals and have always spent as much time as possible in the countryside right from childhood. My interest in animals and the countryside have also influenced my education - I've got an honours degree in Zoology - and where we live in Yorkshire, on the very edge of the moors. I also breed and show my Rough Collies and have trotted round a ring at Crufts!

So far as art is concerned, it's grown out of my longstanding interests. I've now been drawing and painting seriously for around 6 years and exhibit on a regular basis at various national wildlife exhibitions and the Society of Feline Artists. I know that my subject matter with always consist of living things. I'm also fairly sure my subject matter will have fur, feathers or leaves as I have no interest in human portraits and instead prefer the portrayal of natural history.

My proudest artistic moment to date was when I found out that I had passed the jury process and had been elected to full membership of the Society of Feline Artists. Of course being short listed for Wildlife Artist of the Year matches that!

You can see more of my drawings and paintings of animals on my animal and nature art website or my pet portraits website. You can also read about my artwork, how I work, what I use - and my Rough Collies - in my blog Fur in the Paint.

Related posts:

• Three UKCPS members to exhibit in "Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009" (5 April 2009)
  
• Some Winners - and a Competition (26 June 2008)
• An interview with Jonathan Newey (21 April 2009)
• An interview with Margaret Edwards (10th May 2009)
  

An interview with Margaret Edwards

Nature's Own Athletes
15" v 20", coloured pencils on Canford Mi Teintes
copyright Margaret Edwards

This is the second in the series of interviews with the three UKCPS members who have had their work accepted for the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009 exhibition to be held at the Mall Galleries, London from 1st-6th June 2009.

Today it's the turn of Margaret Edwards

What's your approach to wildlife art? Why are you interested in it?

I have always had a fascination for wildlife, and drawing nature makes it real for me, as I would probably never see many of our wild animals. As the years go by it is clear to me that some of these amazing animals could be lost for ever.

Drawing these creatures keeps them real and hopefully there for people to see and have a conscience about.

How do you generate your reference photos?

My inspiration comes from many areas and whilst some parts of my work are realistic others may be virging on imaginary and thats when that old phrase artististic license comes into play.

Often if I source my reference from books and magazines it won't be copied, it will become a small part of what is finally created. When I have to be realistic, I do use my trusty camera. My daughter has also donated some of her beautiful photos from her trips to Kenya, but again I wouldn't just copy from them. Where is the fun in that?

What's the story behind your piece and why did you choose to enter this one

In my life I have always admired the beauty, speed and grace of cheetahs and get great pleasure from drawing such an amazing big cat. The first oil painting I ever did was of a cheetah and so, for me, cheetahs were the obvious choice for this exhibition.

This drawing was created from a few photographic references, a bit of imagination and a lot of inspiration.

What pencils and support did you use for your artwork and why did you choose them?

My drawing was done with a combination of Derwent Artist, Derwent Studio and also Prismacolor pencils. Prismacolor was mainly used on the fur for that soft effect with an intensity of colour that this pencil gives. Derwent pencils especially Studio are very good for detail. I used Dove Grey 150g paper . Works for me.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist

I have always drawn and at 18 I went to Art College, then worked in Art and Advertising for some years after which children came along. My drawing took a back seat for some years after and now I have much more time again and thoroughly enjoy being a member of the UKCPS and entering the various exhibitions that I hear of from time to time.

Related posts:

• Three UKCPS members to exhibit in "Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009" (5 April 2009)
  
• Some Winners - and a Competition (26 June 2008)
• An interview with Jonathan Newey (21 April 2009)
  

An interview with Jonathan Newey

Kaziranga Princess
18" x 26", Prismacolor on dark grey mountboard
copyright Johnathan Newey

This is the first in the series of interviews with three UKCPS members who have had their work accepted for the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009 exhibition to be held at the Mall Galleries, London from 1st-6th June 2009.

The first artist to be interviewed is Jonathan Newey.

What's your approach to wildlife art? Why are you interested in it?

I have drawn and painted many things during my artistic career but have always come back to wildlife. I have been an artist all my life, 4^th generation in the family, and still enjoy combining my interest in wildlife with my love of art. I try to capture the character of the animals in my drawings and hope that they raise awareness of the plight of many endangered species and the loss of their habitat.

How do you generate your reference photos?

Because of the detail I put into my drawings, the pictures can take a long time to finish so I use a lot of photographic references. I always use my own photographs taken at zoos and wildlife parks around the UK. I prefer to do animal portraits with a limited background but on the odd occasion that I need a background then I will source photographic reference from books and the internet. I never copy other peoples photographs and always use the reference photos rather than make exact copies.

What's the story behind your piece and why did you choose to enter this one

The piece that has been accepted for the exhibition is called ‘Kaziranga Princess’ and is a drawing of a mother and baby Asian Single Horn Rhino. The photographs I used were taken at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire. The Asian Rhino population has been rapidly dwindling over the past years due to poaching. As a result of this there are estimated to be less than 500 Rhinos left in the wild. The Kaziranga National Park is in the Assam area of North East India and was declared a World Heritage Centre in 1985.

What pencils and support did you use for your artwork and why did you choose them?

The drawing was done with Prismacolor Coloured pencils on a grey mountboard. I use mountboard because I like a hard smooth surface to work on. I do a lot of blending, layering and burnishing to achieve the realistic hide effect and I find that the rigid surface of the mounboard works better than a paper. I love using Prismacolor pencils. They allow me to put down quite a few layers and the soft creaminess of the pencils allows me to blend and burnish the colours extensively.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist

I have been using coloured pencils for the best part of twenty years. I have always been able to draw and love the immediacy of the medium. I have been teaching in adult education for the past 18 years and teach many styles, mediums and techniques including drawing with coloured pencils at various residential colleges around the country including Earnley Concourse, Missenden Abbey, Farncombe Estate, Denman College, Knuston Hall and West Norfolk Arts Centre. I am a founder member of the UK Coloured Pencil Society and a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America.

Examples of my work and a full selection of workshops and courses can be found on my website: www.jonathannewey.com

Related posts:

• Three UKCPS members to exhibit in "Wildlife Artist of the Year 2009" (5 April 2009)
  
• Some Winners - and a Competition (26 June 2008)