Travel is often the best way for artists to find the inspiration they crave in order to produce their work.
It is absolutely essential for Dr Jeremy Paul, BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year - category winner 2010, 2011 and 2012, who accurately portrays wildlife in its environment.
During his career as an eminent marine biologist he visited some of the most beautiful and remote parts of the British Isles, particularly the west coast of Scotland including a period on a small island with a total population of just six people.
“This was my first experience of true wilderness and abundant wildlife and it was here that I started painting seriously,” he reveals. Well known for paintings of British wildlife, he has also travelled extensively in Africa, India and most recently Antarctica and the Arctic to obtain reference material.
He says: “My aim as a wildlife artist is not merely to illustrate but to impart the atmosphere of the setting and the feel of the wildlife in its natural environment. I spend many hours in the field observing wildlife and looking for settings and lighting to inspire an idea for a painting.” His work has been used on postage stamps. He has received commissions from the Sultan of Oman and the Government of the Isle of Man and has exhibited for the King and Queen of Norway.
For Yorkshire painter Kevin Dixon, his next port of call will be the Caribbean. He is chartering a Beneteau 50.5 yacht for his trip in April.
“I will be cruising the British Virgin Islands to gather drawings and oil studies to add to the ones produced on previous trips,” says Mr Dixon. “These works will feature in a major exhibition of my Caribbean paintings to be held in my North Yorkshire studio in October.”
The exhibition coincides with Ilkley Literature Festival, which runs from October 4 to 20.
Celebrated landscape painter Peter Barker prefers to concentrate his efforts solely on the UK, making a point of not travelling abroad and maintaining a low carbon footprint.
“I sometimes take a trip to the Lake District, as I love to paint the majesty of its glorious landscape,” he says. “I go to the West Country too, taking advantage of trips to Beer and Mousehole to paint the harbours and rolling hills. The Cotswolds is another favourite painting location, as is Norfolk, but mostly I paint the rivers and countryside of Rutland not far from the studio.
“Britain has such a great variety of landscapes, I can’t say I have a favourite location though. The most mundane can be very exciting to paint, depending on the lighting effect,” he concludes.
All three artists belong to www.creativecoverage.co.uk where their profiles can be seen.
Otter - BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year category winner 2010, Jeremy Paul
