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Welcome to the Kat Davies online Wildlife Art gallery,  home of original Wildlife Art, big cat paintings and animal art – where animal art comes alive! There is a unique intensity and an almost tangible life force inherent in her paintings.  Look out for exhibition news of where her latest Wildlife Art is for sale, on public display or listed at auction to experience it first hand, or have a look in this online gallery if you cannot travel -  international orders are welcome . Enjoy your visit today!

New art class – Introduction to Pastel for beginners

Beginning in September with the first class on 8th September 2011, aspiring artists now have the opportunity to try pastels and pastel pencils painting alongside a professional artist.  This two and a half hour session with Kat will be an introduction to further classes and pastel workshop days based in the centre of Derby.  Booking essential, as places are strictly limited to 8 per class.  Please  Email kat@katdavies.com for further information and to book your place.

Wildlife Paintings – The Latest!

Introducing the very latest Wildlife Art painting by Kat Davies.  ‘Realm of the Snow Leopard’ sold at the Preview of the Animal Art Adventure exhibition at Nantwich Museum with almost half the proceeds being donated to animal rehabilitation projects.   The exhibition is on now until 24th September 2011 with sold work still available to view.   ‘Wild and Free’ Tiger Painting (CURRENTLY FOR SALE) was one of three designs used for DMC needlework kits this year.

Realm of the Snow Leopard - Sold

Wild and Free

Wildlife Art Exhibitions 2011

Kat is delighted to have been selected by the jury to exhibit her artwork in the National Exhibition of Wildlife Art once again.  There will be over 400 exhibits on show at NEWA’s seventeenth annual open exhibition which celebrates the natural world as seen through the eyes of some of the world’s most talented artists.  It is open from 9.30am – 6pm daily (free admission) from 15th July – 31st July at the purpose built gallery at Gordale Garden Centre, Burton, Chester High Road – A540, Wirral, CH64 8TF.  The exhibition can also  be viewed online and artwork purchased at www.newa-uk.com.  Kat’s piece ‘Vixen’ has already sold but is still on display for visitors.  A large selection of Kat’s artworks will be available for public view at her solo exhibition at Leabrooks Gallery in Somercotes, Derbyshire from 6th August to 26th August 2011.  Please see www.leabrooksgallery.co.uk for further details.  Other dates for shows, demonstrations and exhibitions will be published as they become available.

Original paintings, art demonstrations and merchandise by Kat Davies

Did you know…?

There are around 37 species of wild cats in the world.  The Siberian or Amur Tiger is the largest, measuring up to 40″ to the shoulder and weighing up to a record 384kg.  The smallest wild cat is said to be the black footed cat, weighing around 1.2kg and only about 8 inches tall to the shoulder.  Most people are familiar with the tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah and jaguar, but too few are aware of the fact that these are ALL threatened species and sadly some cats have already become extinct, never to be seen again in the wild or in captivity.

About Soft Pastels

Pastel is a drawing medium in the form of a stick similar to a coloured chalk. They can also be in the form of a pencil.  They are dry, made with pure powdered pigment held together by a binder and are arguably the most permanent of all painting mediums.  Cave drawings of wild animals and hunting scenes from 30,000 years ago were similarly painted with natural pigments such as those from plants, animal blood, sap – some of these are still visible and holding their colour today!  Pastel as we know it was first mentioned by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1495 and was favoured by famous artists including Degas and Whistler.

Its popularity has continued to grow and grow, and some of the very finest Wildlife Art is now painted in pastel because it is the ‘magic wand’ with which a good artist can re-create the softness and depth of fur, the texture and tone of skin and the luminosity of a pair of living eyes.

Painting Big Cats

Look out for the new publication by Kat Davies.  This excellent concise trouble-shooting guide to painting big cats will be published later this year.  Aspiring artists young and old will benefit from the Wildlife Art instruction in this illustrated and informative book providing an insight into big cats including tigers, lions and snowleopards and be guided towards success in painting these magnificent animals.  This website will be the first to announce the release date of the book, so check back for more information or send a message with your name and address to reserve your copy.

Wildlife Art Gifts

The introduction of a beautiful range of quality Gifts and merchandise in the form of the Wild! Collection by Kat Davies featuring her animal art has been a roaring success, if you will pardon the pun!  Designer Handbags, coin purses and stationery including greetings cards will soon be available to purchase online in this website .  Alongside the original paintings for sale and fine art Prints, there is sure to be a wonderful Gift for cat lovers -  from those who collect tiger art or lion art, to those who prefer domestic cat artwork or Pet Portraits.  Happy shopping!

Tiger cross stitch kit by DMC Creative World

Tiger cross stitch kits are always a firm favourite for cross-stitchers and make wonderful Gifts for husbands, sons and brothers as well as for those ladies who like to have a walk on the ‘wild’ side themelves every now and then!  A new leopard cross stitch kit and a lion cross stitch kit are also available, featuring big cat paintings by Kat Davies.  Kat is proud to be a DMC artist and be associated with a company renown for beautiful threads, quality and creativity since the eighteenth century and whose motto is most aptly  ‘From one fine thread a work of art is born’.  Visit the DMC Creative World website  at www.dmccreative.co.uk or see the latest DMC 2011 catalogue online or in a stockist near you.

Not just cute and furry

Kat was delighted to spend some time with bearded dragons, tarantulas and snakes recently.  She found their company very relaxing and having spent far less time with reptiles than big cats, she was fascinated to learn more about them and have first hand experience handling them and examining them ‘up close and personal’.  Her favourites were the boa constrictors, (see below, Kat with a young male boa constrictor) which display such beautiful markings, at times very reminiscent of leopard or jaguar markings.  ‘When the snake was wrapped around my neck it felt surprisingly strong, but all the same it was more like an embrace – not at all menacing.  When he reaches full maturity and a length of around 14 feet, however, I think it’s an embrace I’d rather forgo in favour of something a little less intimate!’  This visit also provided the inspiration for future animal paintings including a spectacled caiman crocodile.

What a beautiful tail!