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Michael DemainMichael Demain
AFC Michael Demain
Birds of Prey. Game Birds. Big Cats. European Birds. Fishing and SportMichael Demain
 
When Michael Demain left school in 1972 being a wildlife artist was never on his mind as a career option, in fact nothing was on his mind as a career option and he drifted in and out of one mundane job after another until settling as a hod carrier which he happily did for ten years. In 1992 while working for a haulage company he had the good fortune to meet Steven Townsend who is a professional artist. Michael was taken aback with Stevens highly detailed work and instantly knew that he was looking at his future. Taking part time work he started the long process of teaching himself to paint. The standard needed to make a living from art is very high and it was not until 1999 that he turned fulltime professional. As he has a great love of wildlife it was only natural that this would be his chosen subject and he doubts that he would paint for a living if he had to paint anything else "I am not in love with painting but I do love wildlife and through my art I am able to express this" He does however feel he is very fortunate to make a living in such a wonderful way.

As an artist Michael is a very private person and loves the personal space of his studio where he happily paints to the soothing music of Enya or the classics. Not for him the public demonstrations or the teaching of others, he is far to shy for this but he is quick to point out that he loves to meet the public at his shows and is happy to discuss his work. He also shuns the opening night at exhibitions unless it is his own one man show and finds this side of the art world far detached from his own way of life but realises that it is necessary. Art in itself does not really interest Michael but he can appreciate good work and in the early days he studied many other artists , he was particularly struck by the art of Carl Brenders the Belgium artist and Robert Bateman whose work is very distinctive. "I loved the work of these two very talented individuals but if I was influenced by any artist I would have to say it was Steven Towsend and it is true that our styles are very similar but at the same time very different"
In his spare time Michael can often be found amongst the Bowland Fells, an area of Grouse Moors on the western edge of the Pennine chain above Morcambe bay. It is here that he can fully relax and he spends countless hours watching the birds that live in these hills. He is also involved with the monitoring of breeding raptors and especially the Hen Harrier which is the star bird of Bowland. Michaels personal favourite though is the Short-eared Owl and he never tires of watching these birds in the breeding season, the wing clapping display is a must see event among bird watchers. Michael will often sit and close his eyes and listen to the moors, it is surprising what you can hear both near and far.

Much of Michaels work depicts birds from these northern fells as he feels that to make a success of a painting it is important that you understand the subject. He also feels it is important to have interesting light in the painting or it will always look flat and lifeless. For a long time this was the ingredient that was lacking from Michaels work but now it is the one thing that sets him apart from many other artists. Most of his work portrays winter and early spring as he likes the long shadows cast by the low sun at this time of the year.

Michael is happy to work to commission but limit's the amount he does in a year due to a busy schedule which includes shows such as the CLA Game Fair and the British Bird Watching Fair. His original work is also available online and from his studio by prior arrangement.

 
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Direct Correspondence to:Michael Demain
 
Michael Demain
c/o michael demain wildlife art
175 Richmond Rd
Accrington, Lancashire
UK BB5 0JB
Tel: 01254237378
  Worldwide Nature Artists Group
Email: MDemainwildart@aol.com
Home Page: http://www.michaeldemainwildlifeart.co.uk
Michael Demain Michael Demain

 
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This site is part of the Artists for Conservation (AFC) Web site. (Wildlife Art - Nature Art - Conservation) Artists for Conservation is an international, non-profit organization dedicated to nature art, wildlife art and conservation. On this site you will find world-class nature art and wildlife art by today's leading nature artists & wildlife artists. The AFC site is the Web's premier location for nature art, wildlife artists All content appearing in pages featuring Michael Demain is the sole responsibility of Michael Demain. The opinions expressed on these artists' pages are those of Michael Demain and do not necessarily reflect those of the Artists for Conservation Foundationi (AFC).