Read this exclusive interview with top wildlife artist, Karen Phillips as she answers your most frequently asked questions about her life as a leading wildlife artist and how she creates her stunning wildlife art.

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Which of your own artwork is your favourite?

My favourite piece of my own wildlife artwork so far is my 'Grevy's Zebra' piece. The patterns on their hide really lend themselves to graphite pencil drawing and I enjoyed working on this piece enormously. I love the contrast of the black and white stripes that are bold and yet the muzzle and ears of the zebra appear soft and gentle. Another contrast.

It continues to amaze me just how many different textures of hair and skin there are on one animal - each requiring a different drawing technique.  I plan to do more work involving Zebras as they really fascinate me. 

Do you listen to any music whilst you are working?  If so, what is currently playing in your studio?

Yes I always listen to music when I work.  I very often get so absorbed in my work that I don't realise that the cd is on it's 5^th repeat.  I almost go beyond listening to the music itself, it blurs into the background. I definitely miss it though when it stops. 

I find the talking on the radio too distracting so will only occasionally listen to classic FM or radio 3 and 4 for a change.  Currently playing in my studio is one of my husband's cds by  The Be Good Tanyas. Quite a range really.

What do you enjoy most about being a wildlife artist?

What  I enjoy most about being a wildlife artist is being able to create something from scratch. It is incredibly satisfying. I really enjoy the effects that I can achieve with a humble pencil. I absolutely love wildlife as every animal has it's own beauty to try and capture. I enjoy the freedom of working from home and not having the daily commute. The independent lifestyle suits me completely - being my own boss and driving myself onwards and upwards. CLICK HERE ! to read about Karen's early days.

What is the biggest challenge in being a wildlife artist?

I find that the biggest challenge in being a wildlife artist is that with every piece I do, I always hit the wall/pain barrier at some point. This is especially true for the large pieces such as Happiness -  Baby Asian Elephant. This is a lonely place where everything looks bleak. I feel like giving up on the piece and starting over. It just doesn't look good enough to me and I know I can do better. It's a mix of frustration and disappointment.

But then I tell myself that I've already invested hours in the piece and I want to conquer it. So I keep on going with it. Then out of the bleakness emerges a decent piece of wildlife artwork. I know that I've broken through the barrier and I start to enjoy it again. The more I enjoy it, the more effort, heart and soul I put into it and the better it looks.

Years of experience have taught me to just keep going with a piece. I have to be proud of a piece before it is finally allowed to leave my drawing board. It's a gut instinct when a piece is ready.  My collectors tell me that it is this sense of pride, passion and sensitivity that shines through in my wildlife artwork contributing to my unique style. CLICK HERE ! to see more of Karen's Wildlife Art

What do you think about including the background in a piece?

With regards to the inclusion of backgrounds within wildlife art pieces, I tend to vary it.  With some pieces such as Ready, Steady, Go (Humboldt Penguins), I include a small area of background to give the animals context, but I tend not to include massive areas of background as I feel that it can often swamp the piece.

I want the viewer's eye to be drawn to the stars of the piece and how they are behaving within the story being told.  I also hope that viewer's will smile as they enjoy my artwork.  I strive to create uplifting, positive and realistic wildlife art for people to enjoy living with in their homes.

Where do you gain your inspiration?

I work solely from my own reference photographs and sketches. No computers are used at any stage to create or enhance my artwork. Wherever possible, I prefer to study animals in their natural habitat displaying their normal range of behaviours. Hence, it is thrilling to plan future expeditions to gather more reference material for my wildlife art. CLICK HERE! to read about Karen's Expeditions.

I gain my inspiration for my new pieces of wildlife art from a variety of sources.  I often find myself instinctively focusing on an animal that I have not yet drawn very much and would like to try to capture different skin textures, special moments or emotions. Frequently the idea for a new piece comes from spending hours observing the animals, seeing them interact with each other and wanting to capture that special moment sensitively.

With Sleepyhead (giraffe), I had spent hours watching this baby giraffe in the sun. Its mother was nearby and kept coming over to give it a loving lick and check that it was ok.  I wanted to capture the moment when this beautiful contented baby giraffe finally nodded off in the heat of the summer sun. Bliss!

 What is the biggest compliment someone could pay you about your artwork?

The biggest compliment someone could pay me about my wildlife artwork would be,  "I love your wildlife artwork and I'll buy them all."

What is the worst thing someone could say about it?

The worst thing someone could say about my  wildlife art would be, "What is it?"

Which wildlife artists do you admire?

As a self-taught life-long student of art and wildlife, I get immense pleasure in seeing the results that other wildlife artists have achieved with the humble pencil.  From the artists such as the wonderful Gary Hodges and Mike Sibley (dogs), who specialise in graphite pencil work through to Jonathan Truss who uses graphite as juxtaposition to his colour oil paintings. In common with other mediums, each artist uses graphite in a different way resulting in their own style, interpretation and effect. The variation is inspirational to see. Collectors love the level of detail, realism and honesty in graphite artwork.

Several well-known leading wildlife artists first sparked my interest in wildlife art years ago including David Shepherd, Pollyanna Pickering,  John Seerey-Lester, Robert Bateman and Pip McGarry. There are many more excellent artists out there whom I admire.

How long does it take for you to complete a piece?

It depends on a number of factors such as size of the piece, composition and whether it is going well. I can usually complete a piece within about 40-60 hours. See Karen's smallest piece of wildlife art and Karen's largest piece of wildlife art.

What does 'art' mean to you?

For me, the meaning of 'art' is simple to the point where I loathe overly complex pretentious artistic statements. I rarely read them as they very often turn me off a piece of work that I previously enjoyed on my own terms. I think a lot of people feel this way.

I believe that anyone and everyone can make/do/enjoy art. You can enjoy a piece at one level just by looking at it. You can sometimes enhance your enjoyment of it by understanding what the artist wanted to achieve. You can feel better about yourself and the world by having a go. It is subjective - in that everyone can find something different to enjoy in "art". There's no one right way/method/style/media.

As long as art does it's thing to enhance our lives, raise awareness of important issues such as wildlife conservation and endangered species, challenge us and leave an impression on us then it is a wonderful element to have in our lives.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

The advice I would give to aspiring artists is to practise. Draw every day. Always keep your artwork, never throw any away. Then you can look back at how far you have come and track your progress. A wonderful feeling - usually !!

Who first encouraged you to draw?

When I was still in Primary School, my father who is artistic always encouraged me to draw. I'd spend hours drawing animals. My father would always sit with me and show me techniques, help me to work through how to make corrections and encourage me to try something new.

My Art teacher at High School inspired and encouraged me a great deal. Art was my favourite subject and she allowed me the freedom to experiment with different media and subjects. I went on to win various local art competitions that increased my confidence further.

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