David Shepherd
Introduction
David Shepherd, a trailblazing British artist, mesmerised generations with his luminous depictions of untamed beasts and iron-hearted locomotives, marrying the grace of nature with the rumble of industrial heritage in strokes that pulse with unyielding vitality. Uniquely, his fascination with steam engines ignited during a clandestine childhood climb aboard a mighty locomotive, where the hiss of steam and the driver's tales of far-flung tracks kindled a passion so profound it propelled him to not only immortalise them on canvas but to champion their preservation against the tide of progress.
Employing a masterful blend of realism and impressionistic flair, Shepherd's oils capture the thunder of charging elephants, the stealth of prowling tigers, and the defiant plume of departing trains, each brushstroke a testament to his reverence for life's fleeting spectacles. His canvases, rich in golden savannah glows and sooty industrial twilight, evoke a profound empathy, urging beholders to confront the impermanence of the wild and the mechanical alike.
From his pioneering African safaris to his heartfelt tributes to vanishing railways, Shepherd's legacy endures as a clarion call for stewardship. His works, infused with the raw throb of existence, transcend mere artistry to become beacons of hope, reminding us that beauty demands defence.
Biography
Born: 25 April 1931, Hendon, London, UK
David Shepherd entered the world in the bustling environs of Hendon, London, where an innate curiosity for the natural and mechanical realms blossomed amid the city's hum. Orphaned young and schooled in the Midlands, he nurtured his talents through solitary sketches of birds and beasts, dreaming of game warden adventures in Africa's vast expanses.
Rejected by the Slade School of Fine Art, Shepherd found salvation in the mentorship of marine artist Robin Goodwin, whose three-year tutelage honed his eye for form and light. A sojourn in Kenya during the 1950s, fraught with perilous wildlife encounters, forged his unshakeable bond with the continent's creatures, birthing paintings that blended peril and poetry. Back in Britain, his dual obsessions with wildlife and steam engines flourished, the latter rooted in boyhood escapades that evolved into personal ownership of historic locos.
As a devoted family man in Surrey, Shepherd channelled his acclaim into fervent advocacy, establishing a wildlife foundation that channels art's proceeds into safeguarding endangered species. His life's canvas, marked by Parkinson's in later years, closed on 19 September 2017, yet his spirit roars on through every preserved pachyderm and polished piston.
Achievements
David Shepherd’s notable contributions to the art and conservation worlds include:
- Founding the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation in 1984, which has channelled millions into anti-poaching and habitat protection across Africa and Asia
- Awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1980 for exemplary services to wildlife conservation
- Elevated to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2008, honouring decades of charitable impact through his evocative paintings
- Authoring influential books like ‘An Artist in Africa’ in 1969, which illuminated global audiences to the urgency of ecological guardianship
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David Shepherd
The White Tiger of Rewa Silkscreen - Dec 2001
Regular price £550.00Unit price /Unavailable
