Emma Bowring
121 x 96 cm
'No one will protect what they don't care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced' David Attenborough
Whilst conservation of a species is enormously important to me, I have always also felt a strong desire to help the individual animal. When you hear that every twenty six minutes an African elephant is poached for its tusks, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that each one of those deaths is the loss of a magnificent animal.
This is what influences my compositional choices. So rather than see a distant herd of zebra on the plains, I want the viewer to connect with individual animals; to get a sense of their character and soul; a portrait of those animals.
My style is informed by nature itself - whether it’s the intricate patterns of a leopard’s spots, or the folds of an elephant’s skin, these details are there for a reason of survival, so I strive to recreate them accurately.
When one of my paintings hangs on someone’s wall, I want them to have the feeling that the animal is there in the room with them and to really connect with the individual and experience just a little of the beauty of nature, along with the enduring beauty of fine art.
Emma Bowring has always had a love of getting up close to nature. She is fascinated with the detail of things, and where possible, how they feel. She is now combining that love for nature with her artwork to further the AFC mission of using art to further the conservation cause. “Animals are amazing, beautiful, living things; so for me, in a wildlife painting, the most important thing is that the animal has to have life. In my paintings, I want every animal to be seen as an individual, to allow the viewer to get a sense of its character and its soul; a portrait of that animal.”
Emma has been passionate about animals since childhood. She grew up in South London but was lucky enough to have a large garden with a wooded area at the end. She loved to spend time there searching for small creatures. She had a book on studying nature, which gave information about how to recognise animal foot prints, and dissecting an owl pellet to discover what the bird had eaten; which all fascinated her and which she studied time and time again. Before the age of ten, she moved to Sussex and now with several acres to explore, her real love of nature began. At the same time, David Attenborough's ‘Life on Earth' was broadcast, and her eyes were opened to the beauty of the natural world.
"The natural world is an amazing thing. From the humble bee and its role in pollination, to the fact that every time an African elephant takes a step, it creates a home for other animals; as its footprint fills with water. Every living thing has a purpose, it exists for a reason, has a role to play and contributes in some way to making the world a beautiful place ... unfortunately with one exception - modern man.
By painting wildlife and nature, it's as if I become a part of that beautiful world, and by contributing funds from each of my paintings to animal welfare and conservation charities, I hope to undo a little of the damage done by humanity."
From each of her original oil paintings, a donation is made to an animal welfare or conservation charity. She regularly likes to support charities such as Born Free Foundation, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, Boon Lott Elephant Sanctuary and Save the Elephants
2011 - Exhibited with Marwell International Wildlife Art Society 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Selected for the National Exhibition of Wildlife Art annual exhibition, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
2012 - Finalist BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year
Exhibted at the DSWF TigerTime Campaign, David Shepherd gallery, Shalford.
2013 – Finalist BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year
Exhibited at TAAG gallery, Teignmouth in aid of Shaldon Wildlife Trust
Illustration for 'Not Near Normal: The Paranormal, Half Human Monsters and other Fiends' by Ruth Owen. Bearport publishing New York
2014 - Exhibited at House of Commons event and Getty Images Gallery, London raising funds for Orangutan Appeal UK
Solo exhibition ‘Beauty of the Beasts’ David Shepherd Gallery, Shalford, Surrey including demonstration day
Exhibited and demonstrated at the Devon County Show, Dorset County Show and New Forest and Hampshire Show
2015 – Resident artist at Edwards & Parr Gallery, Lyme Regis 2015 – 2019
Invited to exhibit alongside David Shepherd at The Wey Gallery, Surrey
2016 –Commissioned to produce portrait for Paul O'Grady of him with 'Archie' an orangutan orphan at Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, to commemorate Paul becoming Patron of Orangutan Appeal UK
Artwork featured in Dorset Magazine raising funds for Save the Elephants
Original work auctioned at Secret World Wildlife Rescue annual ball to raise funds
Artwork auctioned at Battersea Dog’s and Cat’s Home event ‘Collars and Coats’, at Evolution, London
Invited to become an ambassador for Orangutan Appeal UK
Original work auctioned at Cheetah Conservation Fund event at Mayfair Hotel, London with Jonathan Scott, BBC Big Cat diaries
Commissioned to design the front cover for the Lyme Regis Regatta program.
2017 – Artwork auctioned at Born Free event ‘Beyond the Bars' at Royal Horticultural Halls, London
Invited by David Shepherd Foundation to exhibit at The Mall Galleries, London
Explorers Against Extinction event ' Sketch for Survival' Invitational artist from the initial year in 2017 until its conclusion in 2022
Exhibiting at The Crypt, Norwich - The Geographical Society, London – gallery@oxo, London – The Explorer’s Club, New York – Salmagundi Club, New York –
Wildlife and Safari show, Harrogate
Work auctioned to raise funds for Wildlife SOS India Bidding for Good 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
2018 – Invited to join Artists for Conservation
Work selected for annual exhibition 2018, 2019, 2020 Exhibiting at Van Dosen Botanical Garden, Vancouver - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Invited to exhibit at Slimbridge Wetlands Centre, in aid of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Exhibited as part of the Silent Skies mural mosaic, at 27th Ornithological Congress, Vancouver - exhibit currently on world tour
Original auctioned for the ‘Remembering Great Apes’ kickstarter campaign
2019 – Artwork auctioned at Born Free event ‘The Winds of Change’, at Landmark Hotel, London
AFC Conservation Artist of the month February 2019
2020 – Finalist in David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year
Volunteered at 'Bles' elephant sanctuary, Thailand and painted 'Wassanna' to raise funds
2021- Finalist in David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year, received Highly Commended Award
Produced portrait of Pauline Kidner, Founder of Secret World Wildlife Rescue to hang in the foyer of new animal hospital opened 2021
2022 - Artwork auctioned at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation event ‘Sundown Safari’ at the Dorchester Hotel, London
Watercolour illustrations for ‘When Little Mouse got Stuck’, one of a series of picture books exploring conservation themes, published in 2022
by award winning children's publisher Ruby Tuesday Books
Original work auctioned at 'Roar', Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking in aid of Born Free
Finalist in the 'Art Unlimited Open art competition 2022'
Artwork selected for 'Artists for Painted Dogs Autumn Exhibition' Received Commended Award.
2023 - Finalist in the 'Art Unlimited Open art competition 2023'
