Hamish Mackie News

The titular founder of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, was a prominent British artist as well as outspoken conservationist, and said: “Bringing conservation and environmental issues to the forefront of people’s minds in this busy, commercial world has always been a monumental task and one that I, through my art, have strived to achieve”. You may be familiar with his inaugural fund raising success, in which he auctioned off his piece Tiger Fire (1973) and raised £127,000 for Project Tiger - a wildlife conservation project launched by India’s first and only female Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in April 1973.

The days are now much shorter and temperatures have started to drop, but there are still plenty of reasons to get out-and-about and enjoy the great outdoors and all the natural delights that it has to offer at this time of year, not least the fascinating array of British wildlife. The shortening hours of daylight are said to provoke the red deer rut in October, and you may hear the grunts of mature stags at dusk and dawn as they attempt to ward off their competitors, each vying for the attention of fertile female deer.

With the Stag Beetle rutting season starting in May, June is a great time to spot the species ‘in full swing’ before they disappear again in July. Hotspots in the UK are mainly confined to the South of England, with Sussex, Surrey and the New Forest being among the best places to see them. Skilled printmaker Guy Allen has created a remarkably detailed yet contemporary composition featuring a stag beetle etching on a circular litho printed background, embellished with gold leaf. Find the exquisite Stag Beetle Study on our online gallery.

Green areas, from parks and woodland to country estates and formal gardens, all over the country are increasingly being enhanced by art installations and sculpture. So how can we make the most of our own outdoor spaces? It’s important to consider how the piece will interact with the environment. Do you want to create a dramatic effect, embrace a contemporary aesthetic, or encourage a sense of serenity, and synchronicity with the environment.