by Alan Quick

?CREDITON artists Rachel Toll and Heather Irvine have been shortlisted for the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s (DSWF) Wildlife Artist of the Year award.

Celebrating its 10th year, the international event will showcase some of the world’s best wildlife art at London’s prestigious Mall Galleries this summer, (June 28 to July 2).

Rachel’s “Walking Proud” and “Bright Eyes” and Heather Irvine’s “Apparitions” will be vying for the top £10,000 sponsored prize.

"The sheer diversity of media and form this year has created an extraordinary celebration of the natural world and a huge challenge for the judges," says event organiser, DSWF’s Shauna Rees.

Rachel Toll, born in April 1968, grew up in the north of England and now lives in Mid Devon.

She has painted with watercolours all her life. Developing her style without formal training, she has moved into wildlife art and it has become a major part of who she is.

She tries to capture the very essence of the animal with as few brush strokes as possible.  She likes to work loosely, leaving something for the viewer to imagine and allowing the watercolour to work its magic.

Heather Irvine initially began her career as a professional portrait artist at the likes of Badminton and Burghley Horse Trials.

A volunteer position with the Kalahari Conservation Trust in Botswana led to a lifelong passion for Southern Africa.

Her painting style is impressionistic, using large blocks of colour and loose brushwork.  An animal’s gesture, colour combination or memory lead to small initial idea sketches quickly drawn in charcoal which then form larger works.

Heather has exhibited with SWLA, SEA, MIWAS, is a regular exhibitor with NEWA and in 2012 her painting “The Last Winter” won overall BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year.

"This year’s shortlist brings the wild to life,” says one of the judges, award-winning artist Gary Hodges. “From the silence of a shark casting its shadowy form on the ocean bed to the scuttling of armadillos, the peacefulness of hippos wallowing in the early morning sun and the symphony of bird song at dusk, selecting the overall winner from this amazing collection will be extremely hard."

A total of 163 pieces have been studied by the judges, who will be making their final selection on the morning of Tuesday, June 27, ahead of the private view and prize-giving that evening.

Commenting on the event, wildlife artist and conservationist, David Shepherd CBE said: "I set up my Foundation with the sole purpose of giving something back to the animals that helped me achieve success as an artist.

“At a time when the world’s wildlife is under such devastating pressure from expanding human populations and the illegal trade, it seems fitting that we take a step back and reflect on the sheer beauty and diversity of our natural world and what could be lost if we do not truly appreciate the value of the world around us."

Each piece in the exhibition at the Mall Galleries is for sale, with profits split 50/50 between the artists and the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s wildlife conservation projects across Africa and Asia.

Since 2007, the event has raised more than £350,000 to help protect some the world’s most endangered wildlife.