Emma Bowring Wildlife Portraiture
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I first began painting as a hobby; it turned into something more when I realised I could use my work to raise funds for animal charities. Whilst conservation of a species is enormously important, 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.
 
I think this is what has influenced my style of painting. 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.

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. But I also love a certain style of abstract painting, and this influence can be seen in my backgrounds, where the oil paint is applied with a knife in a more expressive style, complementing the subject.

​                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. 
 
​ ‘No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.’ David Attenborough 



​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 –Produced 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 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
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
 
 
 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
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 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,  publishing in 2022 
​ by award winning children's publisher Ruby Tuesday Books




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Volunteering at 'Bles' elephant sanctuary, Thailand feeding 'Lotus'
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Preparing and feeding rice medicine balls for the elderly 'Pang Fai'
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Volunteering at Secret World Wildlife Rescue, meeting 'Polly' the red deer
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Orphan badgers at Secret World Wildlife Rescue
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Raising funds for Battersea
​Dog's and Cat's Home
'My beauties ! Itchy and Scratchy have been perfectly captured - I can almost hear them panting ! Emma has done a fantastic job of immortalising my two best friends ever and for such a great cause' Chris Packham
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Paul O'Grady with my painting of him with 'Archie'
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With David Shepherd at my solo exhibition at the David Shepherd Gallery, Shalford​
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Saba Douglas-Hamilton  with my painting to raise funds for
​Save the Elephants
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Raising funds for Born Free Foundation

​“This wonderful painting of    little King is so true to life he almost steps off the page! I’m thrilled that Born Free will benefit from the sale of this very special painting of the King of the Jungle.”  Virginia Mckenna OBE
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David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
'Sundown Safari' event at 
The Dorchester, London 2022
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Ruby Tuesday Books publisher's stand at The Bologna Book Fair 2022 with display for
'When Little Mouse got Stuck'
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