'Swimming Penguin'

Original, Oil Painting on Canvas

Open Framed and Mounted

(54cm x 44cm framed size) 

(40cm x30cm canvas size) 

Classification - Humboldt Penguin - Vulnerable (V) 

From the Collection ‘Our Endangered World’ 

Previously on display at

'Pioneer House', Pioneer Business Park, North Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH65 1AD 

Previously on display at

Chris Beesley Studio Gallery, 6 Bruche Heath Gardens, Warrington, WA1 3TP

Previously on display at 

Technically Brilliant Art Gallery 

The Mall, Golden Square, Warrington, WA1 1QE 

This piece was one of the first I created for this collection, after a visit to Chester Zoo. Seeing the Penguins Splashing around playing and having fun was just inspiring, I took my own Photographs for reference while painting. 

I was inspired by this swimming penguin and wanted to capture his/her beauty, strength and vulnerability whilst swimming so peacefully and poetically underwater.

My intention with this Collection was to create not only something visually beautiful and appealing to the audience, but Artworks which would also grab their attention and draw them into the painting for a closer look. I wanted to express the strength, majestic beauty and vulnerability of these vulnerable and critically endangered species. I developed a unique wet on wet style using oil paint to create streaks of hazy, merging, vibrant colours and added details of 24 CT gold leaf. 

As an animal lover and artist, I found myself embarking on a journey, in which it was my mission to not only attempt to create beautiful artwork but to capture the majestic beauty of animals who live among us in this ever-changing world.  

Furthermore, the desire I had was not only to capture their beauty but also their vulnerability, as well as their strength. I had hoped to create some awareness through my artwork, of some of the incredible animals we share this world with who are classified as vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. I felt a sense of responsibility to raise awareness and remind people of the beauty of our animals, before any more of them become extinct from the world we know and continue to destroy.