There are many artists living and working in the Yorkshire Dales. Several of them create work inspired by the wildlife and animals around them.
Studying maths at university isn't the most obvious route to becoming a successful wildlife artist but it's what Nolon Stacey did before returning to his childhood passion for drawing.
His work is very distinctive as he creates incredibly detailed drawings of animals using just a pencil.
I'm intrigued at the way he builds depth layer by painstaking layer, giving each creature life on the page.
It's not surprising that his drawings can take up to 100 hours to complete, particularly if you look at some of his pictures such as this Swaledale, where the fleece looks textured and thick enough to bury your hands and feel the lanolin. Nolon's lovely gallery is in Masham, tucked away behind Cafe in the Square.
Studying maths at university isn't the most obvious route to becoming a successful wildlife artist but it's what Nolon Stacey did before returning to his childhood passion for drawing.
His work is very distinctive as he creates incredibly detailed drawings of animals using just a pencil.
I'm intrigued at the way he builds depth layer by painstaking layer, giving each creature life on the page.
It's not surprising that his drawings can take up to 100 hours to complete, particularly if you look at some of his pictures such as this Swaledale, where the fleece looks textured and thick enough to bury your hands and feel the lanolin. Nolon's lovely gallery is in Masham, tucked away behind Cafe in the Square.
Stacey Moore is another self-taught animal artist, working from her studio in Hawes. Her fresh, vibrant animal drawings are created in coloured pencil. Stacey's background in marketing is evident she's just won anotehr business award. Stacey has exhibited nationally and is recognised as one of Yorkshire's leading wildlife artists. She is very supportive of several charities, using her work to raise awareness and fundraise.
Over in Hebden near Grassington, Chris Foster studied at art college and worked for some years as a french polisher before becoming an artist and photographer. Many of his animal portraits are on commission, taking up to a month to complete. He visits each animal 'client' to take their picture and get a sense of their character before painting them in acrylics, starting with their eyes and then carefully adding detail to accurate represent each animal.
Fiona Clark's animal portraits feel loose and relaxed, reflecting the way she feels about her Oughtershaw home right in the centre of the Yorkshire Dales. She enjoys sitting in a quiet spot - every spot is a quiet spot - on her farm and experimenting with inks, watercolours and rolls to convey the sense of the animals she loves, rather than the fine detail.
Sharon Russell's work is very different. Going under the name of Quirky Cows, Sharron creates lively and primitively colourful cow pictures which remind me of the cow equivalent of Thelwell 's ponies. Her work can be seen in her gallery in Leyburn.
Pictures left to right: Sharon Russell, Fiona Clark, Chris Foster
Over in Hebden near Grassington, Chris Foster studied at art college and worked for some years as a french polisher before becoming an artist and photographer. Many of his animal portraits are on commission, taking up to a month to complete. He visits each animal 'client' to take their picture and get a sense of their character before painting them in acrylics, starting with their eyes and then carefully adding detail to accurate represent each animal.
Fiona Clark's animal portraits feel loose and relaxed, reflecting the way she feels about her Oughtershaw home right in the centre of the Yorkshire Dales. She enjoys sitting in a quiet spot - every spot is a quiet spot - on her farm and experimenting with inks, watercolours and rolls to convey the sense of the animals she loves, rather than the fine detail.
Sharon Russell's work is very different. Going under the name of Quirky Cows, Sharron creates lively and primitively colourful cow pictures which remind me of the cow equivalent of Thelwell 's ponies. Her work can be seen in her gallery in Leyburn.
Pictures left to right: Sharon Russell, Fiona Clark, Chris Foster
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