5 minute read
IN THE WILD
Professional artist Michael Demain has travelled the globe to observe wildlife, but his favourite place is the Forest of Bowland
Working as a delivery driver many years ago, Michael Demain’s life took a remarkable, unexpected turn when he arrived at an address in Oswaldtwistle.
It was the home of UK-renowned artist Steven Townsend: “When I saw one of his paintings on the wall I said, ‘That’s what I want to do’,” recalls Michael. “He suggested I paint something and he would give me an honest opinion.”
Michael, who was in his early 30s, had never painted before. But he went away and embarked on his first work of art. Once complete, he took it to show Steven: “He looked at it, smiled and said, ‘Yes, carry on’.”
That was more than three decades ago and over that time, Michael has sold his paintings to collectors all over the world.
“After showing my work to Steve, I took his advice and carried on as I wanted to improve. I was getting home after work and painting every night,” says Michael, who held his first exhibition at Haworth Art Gallery in Accrington.
“I exhibited 30 paintings and sold more than half, it was really successful,” says Michael, who decided to quit his full-time job and take a part-time post in order to give him more opportunity to paint.
Having a particular interest in wildlife, painting birds and animals in their natural habitat was a progression that led Michael to turn professional just four years after he first began painting: “I love travelling the world to see animals in their natural surroundings. It gives me great joy as well as great subject matter.
“I take reference photographs and use several to make a painting. The light dictates the composition, so I think very carefully about it,” says Michael, who paints in oils or acrylic.
“Which ever medium I use depends on the subject – sometimes a certain subject lends itself to a specific medium.”
Michael’s love of wildlife has taken him and a group of friends throughout Europe and most recently to Spitsbergen in the High Arctic: “We have seen some totally unexpected things – it’s always wonderful!
“In Spitsbergen there was snow in July, it’s a really wild place. You have to carry a gun at all times – but we didn’t see any polar bears. We did see some walrus, which we hadn’t expected. We also saw pink-footed geese up there on their breeding grounds, in their natural habitat.”
While Michael is happy to travel the world, his favourite place is the Forest of Bowland and for many years, he has worked closely with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) monitoring endangered species such as the hen harrier, peregrine falcon and merlin, on the Bowland Estate.
As part of the team, Michael helps find the nests of these endangered species and monitors them in order that they are not disturbed: “In a typical day we find where the birds are settling. At the beginning of March, we start locating pairs and as the season progresses, they start to lay their eggs. When I first started as seasonal warden 12 years ago, there were no hen harriers. Last year we had 11 successful nests on the estate, so that’s really rewarding to see.”
Over the years Michael, who is represented by Carnes Fine Art, has sold many originals and limited edition prints, his work going to collectors in Alaska, Australia, New Zealand and New York: “I once did a painting of a goshawk chasing a partridge – the bird that featured was a falconer’s bird so the original photograph of the bird had jesses (ankle ties) on.
“I thought I would have more chance selling the painting without the jesses on,” recalls Michael, who subsequently received a phone call from a collector in New York.
“He wanted to buy the painting but said, ‘Just one request, can you put jesses on the bird?’ I couldn’t believe it! If I had painted the ties on originally, I couldn’t have removed them – it would have been impossible. However, it was relatively easy to add them, so he was happy!”
Michael, who is due to retire from his work with the RSPB later this year, will continue to paint: “I will carry on, but I am not a prolific artist. I feel less pressure now, so I paint what I want to paint – I don’t paint for the market. At times it’s a bit of a battle as it’s all about self-motivation. But I am very lucky to enjoy doing what I do.”
michaeldemainwildlifeart.co.uk
carnesfineart.com
