DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year | Events Programme
- - 12:30pm - 1:45pm | West Gallery
WAY Workshops
All workshops will take place between 12:30 and 1:45 PM.
We're delighted to announce three exciting workshops which will take place during the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 exhibition.
These unique workshops are a superb opportunity to learn from renowned wildlife artists, gain invaluable knowledge in person at an affordable price, and admire some of the most impressive wildlife art in the world.
With all workshop attendees also being supplied with Derwent art materials to take away on the day, don’t miss these incredible and great value events taking place at this year’s Wildlife Artist of the Year.
Lindy Cullen – Watercolours – Wednesday 3 July
'Watercolours' by @cullenlindy 🖌️
On Wednesday, 3 July, renowned watercolourist and Wildlife Artist of the Year finalist Lindy Cullen will host an intimate demonstration and workshop on how she creates her delicate sketches.
All workshop attendees will be provided with a selection of Derwent pan watercolour sets, technique brushes, push button waterbrushes, and an Inktense piece of paper to work on.
This workshop will give you the opportunity to work with a leading wildlife artist as you learn new skills, tips, and tricks of the trade to enhance your own abilities. You’ll look at the artist’s own pieces as reference and have time to work towards capturing your own watercolour masterpiece.
Tickets are limited to just 15 participants, so book now to avoid disappointment.
Lindy Cullen – Bio
Lindy was born in Zimbabwe and has a passion for animals, particularly African wildlife. Her favourite medium is watercolour, as she likes painting in a loose style, without a preliminary sketch, so she can endeavour to capture their essence and character.
Tom Middleton – Charcoal (Tom’s Tigers) Thursday 4 July
'Tom's Tigers' by @tommiddletonart 🐅
Take part in a graphite workshop on Thursday, 4 July, hosted by renowned wildlife artist Tom Middleton, as he explains the process and technical skills to create a breathtaking tiger.
Each workshop participant will have access to a selection of Derwent graphic pencils and will be given a tin of 6 Derwent graphic pencils to take away on the day.
The workshop will start with a short explanation of how to start things off and drafting out artwork by eye. Then, you’ll learn to build layers appropriate to the surfaces you’re trying to achieve. The next step is easy to skip, but luckily, you’re being guided by a professional – so you’ll spend some time on the importance of choosing the right pencil. You’ll also learn how to work with erasers to create textures that would otherwise be unachievable with pencil alone.
Using his previous Wildlife Artist of the Year commended piece ‘Run, Man Cub!’ as a reference, workshop attendees will have the unique opportunity to finish a blank half of the artwork, under the tutelage of the original artist.
You’ll then be able to take home your piece to finish and share photos with Tom upon completion. Tom will also make himself to all attendees via email, for any further questions or advice. Don’t miss out on this exceptional value workshop experience!
Tickets are limited to just 15 participants, so book now to avoid disappointment.
Tom Middleton - Bio
Born in Lancaster, England, Tom took up wildlife artwork professionally at the age of 28 to supplement his career in music. After spending a short while diving into the world of wildlife and discovering the plight of many species, his passion for conservation was born. Tom spent some time in South Africa travelling from Johannesburg to Pretoria to spend time with Kevin Richardson, the Lion Whisperer, learning all he could about the various wildlife at the reserve.
Tom then travelled the garden route via various sanctuaries to finally visit Gansbaai, to study Great White sharks. It wasn’t long before Tom discovered David Shepherd’s Wildlife Artist of the Year, entering his piece; ‘King Elephant’, which received high commendation in 2019. The following three years saw a category win with; ‘Silver Lining’ and three more high commendations for ‘Here’s Johnny!’, ‘Calculating’ and ‘Run, Man Cub!’.
In 2023, after taking a short break from artwork, Tom was honoured to have been asked to host the virtual awards ceremony for the competition. Now in 2024, he’s back with his piece; ‘Fever Pitch’, eagerly awaiting the results of the competition and looking forward to socialising at the Mall Galleries exhibition.
Tom’s artwork now spans the globe and in the homes of people such as Sir David Attenborough, Jason Momoa, Myles Kennedy, Clive Standen, and Clare Balding. The next year will see Tom embarking on his largest and most ambitious piece yet, so stay tuned!
Zoe Fitchet – On the Savanna – Friday 5 July
'Into The Savanna' by @zoefitchetart 🦓
Join us on Friday, 5 July, for an enriching and educational workshop by Wildlife Artist of the Year finalist Zoe Fitchet, focused on capturing the unique species and landscape of the African savanna.
Workshop attendees will have access to a set of 72 Derwent charcoal pencils and sketching and drawing paper and will be given a tin of 6 Derwent graphic pencils to take home.
For this workshop, we’ll be focusing on one of our core species – the mighty elephant. Zoe will work with attendees to recreate some detailed elements of her original piece – a postcard sized depiction of a grand African tusker.
Elephants are a very popular subject for wildlife artists, not least our founder, David Shepherd CBE – who became affectionately known as ‘the man who loved giants’. So, don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about how to draw and capture these incredible animals on paper.
Tickets are limited to just 15 participants, so book now to avoid disappointment.
Zoe Fitchet – Bio
Zoe Fitchet is a wildlife artist from the UK who uses her work to raise awareness and support conservation projects around the world. She is renowned for creating life-like contemporary portraits of wildlife using acrylic or coloured pencils to highlight some of the world’s incredible yet vulnerable wild species. Zoe has been a finalist in the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year competition for three years and has often worked with the DSWF educational team.
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There is something for everyone, and we look forward to welcoming you to these unique workshops!