Born in the 1930's David Shepherd is known the world over for his paintings of African and Indian wildlife.
Born in the London suburb of Hendon, he became interested in painting as early as the age of 8. He won a painting competition for the magazine Nursery World. He was rejected from the Slade School of Fine Arts in London and when he tried to be a game warden in Kenya.
Even though his work was dismissed by the art college, he was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of a professional artist, Robin Goodwin. It was certain dramatic events that he witnessed during his travel across Africa that inspired hin to help the wildlife.
Some of the terrible scenes he witnessed made him create a foundation for the protection of wildlife. The thousands of pounds he raised through his paintings and charity events help the protection and conservation of endangered species. The first painting that gave him international recognition as a wildlife artist, sold across the world in the millions.
'Wise old elephant' was painted in 1962 and sold more copies than any other print worldwide. From this success he was able to use his knowledge and influence for the benefit of endangered species. His future works and limited editions were sold out in a matter of hours.
David Shepherd has proven to be one of the most original artists of the 20th century by painting with passion. Many of his works are themed around conservation. When he did achieve success, he was able to achieve something even greater, through his wildlife foundation, he's been able to rescue and save multiple species of animals that were nearing endangerment or extinction.
He's invested his whole career on the chance to save the planet's species. He addresses climate change and how greatly it will affect numerous wildlife species. Being so outspoken has gotten a lot of applause from his fans and critics. Art collectors pay many thousands to buy his works, and as a bonus they are able to enjoy his paintings and feel lucky to have an original, or a signed limited edition in their homes.
His art work is highly sought after, and widely regarded as the finest wildlife paintings in the world. They have gained international stardom and became symbols of the wildlife conservation movement. As for David Shepherd, he continues to paint and his signed limited editions are increasingly sought after. He spends much of his time lecturing in many countries across the globe on conservation.
As for his art, he has written up to 5 books about his paintings and his style of painting. His knowledge and enthusiasm for steam engines increased. His great passion is steam locomotives and he has been presented with two by the African government. He has donated them to National Railway Museum in the UK. His love of steam engines has inspired him to create paintings based around his topic of interest. So while most of his paintings are about the African wildlife, he paints about other things that he enjoys. His variety of paintings just concludes his versatility and passion for art.
His art is an inspiration to us all, but the over riding factor is the necessity to look after our fragile planet. He has raised many thousands of pounds for the protection and conservation of the world's wildlife.
David Shepherd is the real deal, a talented artist and a humanitarian. His paintings and talks make us rethink our ideas and give us the inspiration to save some of the world's endangered species.
About the author: David Tatham has been involved in the art world for over twenty five years and his website http://www.davidshepherd.com contains a wealth of information, also signed, limited edition prints and original paintings by world famous artists, David Shepherd, Russell Flint, L.S. Lowry.
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Internet Paraganar » Blog Archive » Investing In Wildlife Art
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Why save endangered wildlife?
Saba Douglas-Hamilton, Simon King and Alan Titchmarsh talk about why Wildlife Matters and how the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation is making a difference in the race to save endangered mammals.
