Born in 1954, Gary has had a deep love for nature since childhood. In
1979 he began applying his keen sense of observation to his drawings and
is now Britain's leading wildlife pencil artist.
He gave up his day job around 1989 to concentrate on his drawings and,
shortly afterwards, began to publish his limited edition prints himself. By retaining
control of every stage, from drawing, to publishing, to selling, Gary has
never had to compromise on the very high standards he has set himself.
He is a genuinely sincere and generous human being who
cares quietly, but passionately, about the conservation of the animals
he draws. Through his drawings he has already raised his first quarter
of a million pounds for charity and is well on his way towards the second
quarter million - a phenomenal achievement for one individual in such
a short time.
Gary's drawings stand out from the crowd because he combines a remarkable technical ability with a deep feeling for the subject and a sensitive understanding of its individual character. His sense of design and composition, often focussing on only a part of the animal, always results in a striking image that demands the viewer's attention and thought. Others have tried to achieve the same effect in pencil, but the result often looks ordinary by comparison.Gary may use very many different grades of pencil in a drawing. Each grade is put to good effect as he painstakingly builds up tones and textures, working on small areas at a time. The range of textures he creates - tough hide, fluffy fur, preened feathers, dry scales - is extraordinary. Often there is a touch of humour - the big paw or menacing tooth - but in the end it is the eye that fixes itself upon the viewer. It is here that Gary begins each drawing.
His original drawings now regularly appear in Christie's Wildlife Art auctions - "Supreme" sold for £16,215 in 1998 and "Mother's Love" for £10,575 (double the estimate) in May 2000.
Gary's first two limited edition prints were published by Greenpeace in 1987. He began publishing prints himself in 1990, having been turned down by fine art publishers because "black and white" prints "wouldn't sell". At first he sold, slowly but steadily, through exhibitions and mail order catalogues of charities. An edition of 850 prints might take two or three years to sell out. Then, as his talents began to be more widely appreciated, galleries began to take his prints in greater numbers. Following his hugely successful exhibition and auction at the Mall Galleries in 1994, demand for his work escalated and he began to sell out his editions within a matter of weeks. A secondary market was created and prices of some early prints began to rise sharply in value. Now, such is the popularity of his work, he has had to increase edition sizes, but still has to cut back on the pre-publication orders from galleries ("Plea for the Rainforest" was over-subscribed by 350 copies even though the edition was increased to 1500). Popular subjects, like the recent "Friendship", disappear from galleries at the release price within weeks.Many of the early prints now command huge premiums on the secondary market, not so much because they are much scarcer but because they are widely distributed, sitting in homes around the world, and rarely come up for sale.
Gary has
- travelled the world extensively gathering inspiration and reference material for his original work;
- held exhibitions in several countries in support of many charities, including one person shows in Paris for Robin des Bois and London for EIA and the Born Free Foundation;
- won numerous prestige awards for his drawing, twice winning the Solomon Trophy for "Best Selling Images by a Living Artist";
- produced the first ever National ITV Telethon print - "Bengal Tigress and Cub" - which raised over £20,000 for the appeal;
- had his work produced in magazines, on limited edition prints, calendars, T shirts, greetings cards, notepaper, postcards and posters, to raise money for charities like Greenpeace and EIA;
- been a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists since 1990;
- been artist in residence annually at the Nature in Art Museum;
- engaged the support of numerous celebrities in his fund-raising activities.
"The artistry of Gary Hodges is unique. With his attention to detail,
his understanding of and feelings for his animal subjects, he creates images
of beauty and authenticity which one never tires of looking at."
[Virginia McKenna - Actress and Co-founder of the Born Free Foundation]
"The medium he has chosen does not allow the fast production of many
pictures a year but, by producing beautifully printed limited edition
prints of the drawings, many more people have been able to enjoy his work."
[Robert Gillmor - Past President, Society of Wildlife Artists]
His drawing of two of our orphaned elephants, Ndume and Malaika, hangs in
my house, and is one of my most treasured possessions. To me it is the work of
a Master, not only accurate in every detail, but subtly portraying the character
of the animals with deep sensitivity."
[Daphne Sheldrick MBE, Elephant
Orpanage, Kenya]
"Gary's style has steadily evolved...to a point where he captures the fluidity
and central beauty of the animals he draws with a stunning perfection that is
virtually unparalleled."
[Allan Thornton, Chairman, Environmental Investigation Agency]
