Do you want to get a little closer and hands on with our birds? This is a unique experience that will enable you to fly up to 4 different species from our collection.
We have received Raptor Rescue Approved Status at the sanctuary, we are now on their official list of rehabbers for sick and injured owls and birds of prey.
"The Artists for Conservation Foundation (AFC) - formerly the Worldwide Nature Artists Group (WNAG) - is a non-profit, international organization dedicated to the celebration and preservation of the natural world. The Foundation represents the world's leading collective of nature artists and an unparalleled pool of artistic talent focussed on nature. The organization's mission is to support wildlife and habitat conservation, biodiversity, sustainability and environmental education through art that celebrates our natural heritage."
Steven Lingham is a self-taught artist born in Derby, England in 1973, who previously worked as a trained printer. He has spent the majority of his life living in Yorkshire and is now living in a small rural village near the beautiful old city of York.
Steven is a signature member of The Worldwide Nature Artists Group, The RSPB, The Wildlife Art Society International, and the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society, all of which promote conservation of Wildlife. He has a real passion for British birds, the subject matter for which Steven is most renowned.
I was born in Derby and now live in Lincolnshire with my husband and teenage daughters. I spent 21 years working as a doctor in the NHS before deciding on a change of career. Art was always my first love; resignation from my hospital post gave me the perfect opportunity to spend my time painting.
I have no formal art training; however, my work has won numerous awards including the Christopher Parsons award for Artistic Excellence and a coveted first prize in the ‘Wildlife Artist of the Year’ competition. I was the overall winner of the PAWS (Paint a Wildlife Subject) championship, being considered the best artist from the winners and finalists in the thirteen years of the competition.
With over 15 years experience in graphite pencil drawing, Karen Phillips is a British professional wildlife artist.
Self taught, her only formal art training was to GCSE level art where she experimented with a variety of different media, before finding her real passion for graphite pencil wildlife art.
She showed an early talent for capturing the character and emotion of her subjects. After having her son, Karen decided to take the opportunity to explore and develop her artistic talents further. So here we are working as a small, family-run business based in rural Cheshire, England.
Michael Demain was born in 1957 in the small mill town of Accrington which lies amongst the Lancashire Pennines.
It was in these early years that he developed a love for wildlife and over the years this love has never waned. He spent most of his early working life as a hood carrier but in 1991 after a chance meeting with Steven Townsend his direction in life took a dramatic twist.
Steven encouraged Michael to pursue his goal of becoming an artist and was always available with advice and constructive criticism but he never taught, encouraging Michael to develop his own style. Being self taught it was never an easy journey but Michael is now reaping the rewards for years of hard work and self-disciplibe as his original work is now eagerly sought after by collectors.
Phililip Allder has been painting professionally for more than twenty years. Originally from London, he moved with his wife Gill to the English Lake District in 1987. It was here that, in 1990 he founded the Mountain Painters Gallery with watercolourist John Campbell.
His real passion, though, was wildlife. So, after five years painting local landscapes, he left the gallery to work from his studio at home.
In the years that followed he has built an enviable reputation as one of the UK's leading figurative wildlife artists, wining ' Best in Show ' at severl important national and international exhibitions.
Eva was born in den Hague, Holland in 1936 and emigrated to the United States with her parents during ww2. The family settled in Woodstock, NV. Here the vitality and creativity of a thriving art community formed the basis for her artistic style and work ethic.
Taking a year off from college she attended the academia de belle arte in Florence, Italy, where her mother had been a student before her. She married painter-sculptor Edward Chavez, a well-known abstract artist, and continued to live in Woodstock, where daughter Maia (now also an artist) was born.
The family spent summers camping in a tent trailer, exploring the western United States. This immersion in western landscape became the inspiration for her artwork. Often joined by daughter Maia, Eva continues the camping tradition, creating plein-air paintings that become the basis for larger paintings in the studio at home.
Pollyanna is acclaimed as one of Europe's foremost wildlife artists. The most published artist in the UK, her work sells in over eighty countries world-wide.
Her original paintings have been exhibited to critical acclaim in top galleries throughout the UK and Europe, including the Royal Academy. She has her own gallery in the Peak District of Derbyshire where she lives and works. She is a signature member of Artists for Conservation (Canada), who recently awarded her a fellowship in support of an expedition into the Himalayas, and The Society of Animal Artists (New York), and is a patron of The Wildlife Art Society International . In 2008 Derby University award her an honorary degree in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the arts.
Her paintings will be familiar to most people from her extensive ranges of prints and cards, many commissioned by charities including the WWF, Guide Dogs for the Blind and the RSPB. Pollyanna designs exclusively for Harrods, and has painted postage stamps for African countries and First Day Covers for the Royal Mail.
Born in Oldham, Lancashire in 1966, David Miller now lives and works in the heart of the West Wales countryside, in a wooded valley near the Taf and Towy estuaries with the dramatic Pembrokeshire coastline on his doorstep.
He paints mostly British wildlife, usually in oils, preferring to return again and again to subjects he knows well, travelling widely to gather reference and inspiration for his work.
David is perhaps best known for his underwater studies of game and coarse fish, inspired by a lifetime passion for angling and by many hours spent snorkeling and diving in rivers, lakes and gravel pits. This knowledge and understanding of his subject is clearly reflected in his work and has led to him becoming perhaps the best known and well-regarded fish artist in the country. Internationally, his larger fish paintings now hang in London, Tokyo and New York boardrooms.
Studied at Blackpool and the Fylde College from 1986 until 1991. Subjects: BTEC National Diploma in Design - Technical Illustration and BTEC Higher National Diploma in Design - Scientific Illustration.
For the past decade, David has worked in the field of design, from Graphics, Illustration, Packaging and Web Design. Early in his career, David produced Airbrush Illustrations for the Golden Mile's attractions, including the Hot Ice Shows, Peter Jay's Circus and Mystique.
David is becoming renowned for his guest speaking, demonstrations and master classes at many Art Societies on the Fylde coast. For 2007, David is launching his art in a big way with the introduction of penningtonART.co.uk. Although his success to date has been with his Pet Portraits, David also tackles an array of other subject matter.
All his life, Dag Peterson has been deeply involved in the work of preserving threatened species, e.g. Eagle Owl. Peregrin Falcon and the european Sea Eagle. Over the years, his work has been shown in numerous exhibitions, both in Sweden and abroad. His way of painting fascinates the observer and gives a fascinating impression of reality.
His book about Birds of Prey and Owls in Scandinavia ("Rovfaglar och ugglor i Norden") was honoured by the swedish King Carl Gustav XVI as the best written and illustrated natural history book 2002.
Born Lancaster, England in 1946. Educated at Eckington Westfield School in Sheffield. Followed by a 3 year Graphic design course at Chesterfield College of Art. After Five years or so of working in Advertising agencies in Nottingham Geoff turned to illustration and book cover art. One of Geoff's first commissions was in 1976 for “Counter Clock World” by Philip K. Dick, in turn this has led to him illustrating covers for most of the top Science Fiction/Fantasy writers of our time, including JRR Tolkien, Raymond E. Feist, David & Leigh Eddings, Roger Zelazny, Katharine Kerr, David Zindel, David Gemmell. Also children’s books, authors include Nina Bawden, Rosemary Sutcliff, Cliff McNish and Marcus Sedgewick, also illustrations for Michelle Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series, plus, many more authors for several publishing companies around the world.
Geoff was one of the illustrators for the legendary Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of"The War of the Worlds" album, a signed limited edition series of the four illustrations was printed, on licence from "Jeff Wayne Music", some prints still available on this site. Since 1994 he has added to some of the rich imagery of "Games Workshop" and their unique Warhammer World and has painted covers for the Black Library, an offshoot of Games Workshop and gaming cards for Sabertooth Games.
Perhaps his true passions are best reflected in his wildlife paintings (Geoff has been inspired by the local story of “The Last Wolf” in England, reputedly killed at Humphrey Head, Cumbria in the 14th Century and has produced a piece of artwork and a print to illustrate the event) & his burgeoning photographic record of the deer in Cumbria, where he now lives with his wife.
Originally from Southern California, Rick Wheeler moved to the woodlands of Northern California in 1972 to pursue an art education. While obtaining an Associates of Arts degree in Graphic Design, he also studied studio arts, including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and filmmaking. Part of his education included courses at two of San Francisco’s most notable art colleges - the San Francisco Art Institute, where he was awarded a scholarship to attend, and the San Francisco Academy of Art, where he studied illustration. He also holds a B.A. degree in Fine Art from Prescott College, Arizona.
In 1994 Rick left California for the Four Corners region of the southwest U.S. Since that time he has lived in southwest Colorado, southeast Utah, and southern Arizona. He has been heavily influenced by the light, color, and forms of the desert southwest - both in terms of the land and it’s people - and he enjoys hiking and painting the terrain as much as possible. As an artist, Rick feels being a keen observer of the natural world is as important as the tools with which those observations are rendered. His art pursuits have led to his interest in conservation and the preservation of open space and wildlife habitat. He is currently a member of the Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund, Defenders of Wildlife, and National Parks Conservation Association.
There has never been a time in my life when I didn't draw or paint or sing or play a tune in my head. The creative muses have been alive and well inside of me since I took my first breath. I always wanted to recreate what I observed around me so I set upon a path, at an early age, that would take me into a world of color, shapes, melodies and great creative passion.
I found that after struggling to choose between expressing as an artist or a musician, that first and foremost, I was an artist and that for me there was no distinction between the two varieties. I was both, so I would learn to find a way to thrive as both.
The art of batik, which actually means, "wax painting" was introduced to me in a high school course in art. I found the medium to be a fascinating one and pursued it, determined to master it. I've been practicing it for over thirty years now and I have yet to "master" it. I have, perhaps, along with a very few other artists who also work in the medium, taken it beyond a simple application of wax on cloth and dipping into a dye bath to achieve interesting patterns and color combinations.
Two times Canadian Ducks Unlimited National Art Portfolio winner, BC artist Julia Hargreaves trained in England and received a MA in art from the prestigious Manchester Metropolitan University.
She illustrated 'Birdscapes - a pop-up celebration of birdsong" Chronlcle - Text by Cornell Univ Published July 2008. Her designs have been used as greetings cards and ceramics by several international companies.
She is represented in Canada by galleries in BC and Alberta.
Born in Accrington, Lancashire, UK in 1954, Jeremy Paul had a successful career in marine biology before becoming a professional artist. After receiving a Doctorate for research, his work took him to live in Spain and some of the most beautiful and remote areas of the British Isles, particularly the west coast of Scotland including a period on a small island with a total population of 6.
This was his first experience of true wilderness and abundant wildlife and it was here that he started painting seriously. During the 1980's his career in art developed even though he was now a leading authority on shellfish cultivation and in charge of a busy research and development programme based in the Scottish Highlands. A completely self taught artist he works in acrylics, developing the painting in many layers of paint with extensive use of underpainting and glazes to alter the tone and atmosphere of the work.
Enjoying the outdoors is one of life’s greatest pleasures and the oppurtunity to observe wildlife is a gift that I most certainly treasure. I have great respect for nature and as a Christian I worship its creator, believing that as stewards of God’s gift we have quite a responsibility. Of course in many instances we have failed, but because of the hard work of many commited people there are a great number of successes as well. As an artist I’m simply giving an intrepretation of what I observe in nature, and like any number of wildlife artists I hope the viewer of the work is perhaps inspired to feel a greater appreciation for not only nature and the animal kingdom, but the manner in which God has beautifully designed each piece to perform and function in such a cohesive manner.
Andrew’s passion for painting the natural world demonstrated itself at an early age. Growing up in rural Devon, he was drawn to studying wildlife, and in particular birds of prey, which remain one of his favourite subject matter. He continues to live in the South West, with his wife Donna, and their two children, and is still very much inspired by the surrounding wildlife.
He is actively involved in countryside management, releasing Grey partridges with the help of local farmers, a regular contributor on bird forums, and works closely with organisations such as IAF (International Association of Falconers), and BFC (British Falconer’s club) to raise the awareness of falconry around the world.
Born in 1964, Patricia Pépin spent her first years in Bromont. As a child she loved to roam in the woods and fields, observing the wilderness and drawing her many findings.
Pépin paints with oil colours and is interested in the traditions and techniques of her medium. While studying the works of old masters, she was attracted by the art of Vermeer and Vélasquez, struck by their mastery of light and colours.
Their influence is well represented in Patricia's paintings, in which the realism born out of these notions can be clearly seen.
Pete has been a feature artist for the Australian Artist magazine, and her work has been reproduced on many issues of the Australian Veterinary Journal. Her work is also the cover for the book "The Birds of Box Hill."
Pete has served on the Council of The Wildlife Art Society of Australasia for a number of years, and has just retired as Exhibition Director - a position she has held for several years. She has also received an Australia Day Award for service to art.
She is a qualified Veterinary Surgeon, and runs a Wildlife Rehabilitation Shelter.
I have always drawn. I remember endlessly drawing Batman and Superman from the 50's and 60's DC comics together with the Disney characters of the day. Also cutting intricate paper patterns from large sheets of paper.
After Secondary school where I ran an art club, I passed the entrance exam for Salford School of Art, then part of Salford Technical College.
This was a four year full time course with 3 night classes until 9-00pm, including friday night. The course encapsulated Graphic Design, Illustration, Life Drawing, Photography, Model Making, Calligraphy, History of Art, Paper Sculpture and Print Making and probably others I have forgotten.
After passing the college Associateship at the end of the course I then worked for several large Manchester Advertising Agencies and Art Studios.
Tubary Woods Owl and Bird of Prey Sanctuary Tubary Woods 92 Chain House Lane Whitestake Preston PR4 4LB 01772 323 323 07734 23 11 42
Owl & Bird of Prey Sanctuary
Turbary Woods offer a unique collection of over 90 birds of prey including eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and more unusual species. Turbary Woods, Owl & Bird of Prey Sanctuary is based in the north west Preston, Lancashire. Sanctuary manager Andrew Bilsborough.
