Exciting News !

I could not have imagined that when I was checking the artist proof of my bronze resin sculpture ‘Awakening’ that he would be a finalist for The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 competition.

In March, I decided to enter my Wild Boar in the Global Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 competition in the Environmental Artivism category.

The Wild Boar is half sized and took six months to sculpt. I created a wooden supportive armature: sculpted a wild boar form over this with expanding foam to keep the sculpture light enough to maneuver. Then sculpted the form and detail in clay. The finished sculpture was then carefully transported to a Fine Art Foundry in Essex for expert mould making and casting. The artist proof is a cold cast bronze resin. But the Wild boar can be cast in bronze in the future.

I have named the Wild Boar ‘Awakening’. This felt appropriate as he is sculpted waking from sleep, but his purpose is to encourage an awakening in the viewer to see his value in the world.

Artists all over the world enter this competition. This year there were 1,340 entries from 68 countries, approx 150 finalists were chosen to exhibit in London in September and 50% of all sales will go to support the Foundations wildlife conservation work around the globe. Finalist’s pieces will also be considered for the final prize selection.

I was absolutely delighted to find out at the beginning of July that I am a finalist and I have been invited to exhibit the Wild Boar in the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London, and on line. I will attend the Awards Ceremony at the Mall Galleries on Tuesday 9th September.

Key Dates;

•  DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 Awards Ceremony: from 6pm UK time on Tuesday 9 September

• DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 Exhibition at the Mall Galleries: from 9 – 13 September 2025

• Online Gallery: from 1 – 15 September

• People’s Choice Award voting period: 1 – 15 September

My Wild Boar will be in the online exhibition from 1 – 15 September and in the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 Exhibition at the Mall Galleries: from 9 – 13 September. If sold, 50% of the proceeds will go to the David Shepherd Foundation’s global wildlife conservation programmes.

I’ll keep you posted on how the awards ceremony goes, and if you get a chance, come along to the Mall galleries and see the amazing artworks chosen for the exhibition.