Jonathan Pointer

As a child Jonathan grew up in Saudi Arabia where an early interest in nature was fuelled by bee eaters, hoopoes and poisonous insects! On returning to England his family moved to the countryside near Hungerford in Berkshire, where the woods, downs and the nearby River Kennet water meadows provided a new backdrop to an increasing fascination with nature. He now works full-time as Natural History Artist, painting scenes of the countryside and its wild inhabitants.

Inspired by Victorian art, Jonathan’s work has a traditional feel, which, combined with bespoke, hand-finished gilded and stained frames, sets him apart from much contemporary Wildlife Art.His bird paintings are a mixture of the familiar and the exotic and, after field trips to India, Sri Lanka, Europe and America, have an international flavour.

Narrative in his work is increasingly important and creating an image that has purpose and a story within itself, as well as being well painted, is much more important than simply creating just another technically flawless "portrait". Subject matter is chosen entirely on the whimsical nature of what the artist enjoys painting, regardless of commerciality. Feral pigeons are therefore, equally afforded the weeks or months of work that all his paintings are given.

Jonathan trained in Natural History Illustration at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art & Design. He still occasionally works as an illustrator and has illustrated numerous commercial jobs, in particular stamp issues and first day covers for the Crown Agents Stamp Bureau and the World Wildlife Fund.

He exhibits widely, including The Society of Wildlife Artists, Christie’s Wildlife & Sporting Art auctions, Olympia Fine Art & Antiques Fair, The Royal West of England Academy, and Birds in Art in America. In 1998 he co-founded the Marwell Art Society (now MIWAS – Marwell International Wildlife Art Society). Jonathan is represented by several leading galleries. In 2005 he had his first one-man show entitled simply "British Wildlife", which was a near sell-out success. He is currently working on his second solo exhibition to be held in London in 2008.

Jonathan welcomes any enquiries about his work.