Wild creatures in England and beyond, have sparked the imagination of artists for centuries. This rich tradition connects the beauty of local animals to the heart of art. Recognising the painters and sculptors who celebrate native wildlife helps us appreciate the unseen ties between art, nature, and conservation.
If drawing or painting wildlife, keep your distance (avoid magnifying glasses or flash photography).
Green hills, ancient forests, and busy rivers fill our world with wildlife. Artists often turn to these places for bright ideas. The flash of a kingfisher by a stream or the quiet strength of a red deer stirs the imagination.
By bringing these moments to canvas or sculpture, artists remind us what’s special about the English countryside.
- Hedgerows buzzing with insects.
- Grand old oaks sheltering birds and small mammals.
- Coastal cliffs alive with seabirds.
Artists reflect these everyday wonders, teaching us to look a bit closer next time we step outside.
Today’s wildlife artists do more than make beautiful things. They speak up for threatened species and vanishing habitats. Through gallery shows, book illustrations, and online projects, artists raise funds and awareness for conservation.
Art becomes a quiet but persuasive nudge, inviting people to care for what’s under threat. Some artists even use their websites to share conservation news and tips, helping followers find easy ways to support local animals.
Julia Crossland
Julia Crossland paints beautifully inspiring art of both wildlife and the countryside. Amazingly, she was told by a tutor that she would never make it as an artist, and spent years working in NHS payroll, before following her dream.
A lot of her paintings are inspired by her Yorkshire home surroundings, and the wonderful wildlife that lives there. Her dream is to bring the coast and countryside to your home, to create a blissful escape, in a sometimes challenging world.
Holly Astle
Holly Astle is as feisty as her red hair, using her gorgeous art to campaign for wildlife, in a world more concerned with planning roads and dirty politics.
She even recently disassociated herself from a book she illustrated, due to finding out about the politics of the publisher.
Inspired by her Cornish surroundings, a lot of Holly’s work features coasts and the wildlife that’s found nearby.
Melissa Jan
Melissa Jan brings fun to our native birds and creatures, inspiring everyone to learn more about the natural world.
Living near Robin Hood’s forest home in Nottinghamshire, she only sends out work in sustainable packaging, to protect the wildlife that she paints.
Betsy Siber
Betsy Siber is a fun Chicago artist, who often decides to paint something in a theme over 100 days, then posts the prints on social media (birds, animals, houses etc).
By bringing the fun into wildlife art, her paintings are helping to inspire people of all ages to look after creatures other than ourselves.
Her quirky characters are packed with colour, inspired by her history of costume design and making jewellery.
Melanie Mikecz
Melanie Mikecz is another North American artist (from Wisconsin, who now lives in San Francisco).
Her fun and colourful paintings charm adults and children alike, sure to inspire the next generation to look after our fabulous worldwide wildlife!
