Your paintings show amazing painstaking attention to detail and at their displayed size it’s easy to imagine that they are photographs.  Your colours are flawless and your composition is very strong with your subjects not traditionally posed, but observed.  Meaning, it’s more like how they would actually appear in nature in those very rare special moments rather then how they would appear in some studio setting.  In essence, you expertly offer tender glimpses into the beauty of nature. Carlos Cruz.

The world as an artist lives.

I am a self-taught perfectionist because I couldn’t help it. If I am in a room I will be staring out of the window. I spent a childhood camping, and roaming cliffs and beaches, mountain walking and getting tired, soaked, fed up and learning natural history and geography along the way.

I was left with a desire to know how it all worked (the result of several arguments), and an obsession with painting it, hence the pictures and the starting of a science degree. My paintings are soundly researched and the animals I paint are from my own photographs, I spend days close to the wildlife gaining an understanding of the uniqueness of the species, how they move, and what they typically do and the essence of them. I use my scientific knowledge of habitats, ecosystems, biology, and geography to ensure that the animals are portrayed accurately and as close to a wild encounter as possible.

No stranger to sub-zero temperatures, I am also addicted to mountains and a lot of my pictures will reflect this. Any time I am not roaming England I am at altitude in Switzerland. My other interests are photography, writing, archaeology, ancient landscapes, science and the study of the Holocene, the period since the last ice age. I am interested in education having worked in a school, I have taught gymnastics, worked in fish health and love camping and walking. 
Enjoy my work!

Mission statement: to assist and develop understanding and appreciation of the natural world through my painting, to work closely with wildlife parks and conservation organisations, to promote their collections, raise awareness of endangered species, their habitats and environmental issues surrounding them.

My works are a mixture of watercolour and gouache paints as I have found this is best for building up realistic layers on fur and feathers. On animals there are several layers of fur – each with a different function and I paint in layers to give a feeling of depth. with an understanding of each animal, where it lives and the way it is built. Snow leopards live I the highest mountains on Earth and their fur is soft, thick, and deep. I desire my paintings to convey a sense of the way an animal feels, soft harsh, thick, deep, fur you could sink your fingers into.

I have painted most subjects except portraits but have developed my paintings to move in the direction of wildlife and conservation.

Before I paint I bury myself in research gathering information on the animal and its environment, before observing the animal itself in the wild or captivity to ensure accuracy in my work. I do not paint animals I have not seen myself, if I have painted footprints in the snow, I have seen them. I have a vast photographic archive of background reference material and animals in myriad poses and couldn’t survive without my Nikon film camera and Canon digital SLR along with my sketchbook.

I listen to music as I paint, as a lot of artists do to get into a state of flow. I wait until I feel a tension before I paint as oriental artists do, it concentrates my mind and I produce better work. I like to focus on endangered species but with a trip to Switzerland to come this year I expect a few European birds and mammals will creep in.

I continue to be fascinated by Carl Brenders, Lee Kromschroeder and other wildlife artists and have learned my art by studying their work, whilst developing my own unique style.

Drama and light play a large part in some of my paintings to give impact, in others it is quietness that prevails, but in all, the animals and birds will speak for themselves.

If you would like to discuss anything with me please feel free. I am afraid I do not do commissions at present however if you are after a particular animal and I have a picture I may move painting it up my list. I reserve the right to take prints from any painting so requested, to dispose of as I so wish, before displaying it on my site.

Constructive feedback welcomed!

please reach me on sevinayates@yahoo.co.uk