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Tuesday 11 March 2014

Wildlife Art and Photography Book


Red deer stag
Watercolour painting by Sharon Whitley

I know that many of my fellow bloggers are wildlife and nature lovers and hope that you'll be interested in this post.

Gary and I feel very privileged to be part of a charity ebook which is available worldwide on Amazon for the kindle, kindle apps and kindle reader on the pc.  It features wildlife artwork and photography from all over the world with an account of the inspiration and thought processes behind each painting and photo provided by the artist/photographer. It includes 2 paintings of mine (please don't let that put you off though, there's plenty from other artists too!!)  and a few of Gary's wildlife photos.  It also includes 2 step by step watercolour demonstrations by the super talented Maria Balcells.  Not only is it a wonderful book but it's for a very, very worthy cause, the South West Deer Rescue Centre. Every penny of the royalties from this book will go to the cause and the book itself is currently available at the reduced price of £1.29 or $2.15 for a limited period until the price goes up, that's less than the price of a coffee!

"The South West Deer Rescue & Study Centre was started by Mike Gage, who has been involved with deer management and conservation for over 35 years, and has built a true bond with all of the SWDRC residents. Caring for orphaned and injured deer of all species, he is the true deer whisperer and relayed tales of sitting in the middle of fields waiting for the deer to surround him. This has enabled him to understand and build a trust with these animals. Mike is a well-known character on Exmoor and indeed, he has some Exmoor deer at the centre; he will not release these deer back to the wild for fear of them being shot or poached . One of his stags has an impressive 31 points on the antlers and is a true giant of an animal. What is even more amazing is the fact that Mike receives no funding of any kind and uses his pension and savings to feed the deer. You can book to visit the centre and it is completely free"


Here is a link to a review of the book on Judith Farnworth's blog   Her otter painting is also featured in the book.

So I urge you to please consider buying for your kindle or pc - there's no reason not to at that price and you will be making such a difference to the deer and to Mike!

I've also donated the above painting to the cause which is currently receiving offers - the painting will go to the highest bidder so if you like it please consider making a bid, you never know you might be the highest bidder, it's an original watercolour mounted in a 12 x 10 inch mount.

Here is a link to buy the book in the UK  Buy a Book, Feed a Deer (UK Amazon)
and in the US  Buy a Book Feed a Deer (US Amazon)
and in Australia  Buy a Book Feed a Deer (Australia Amazon)

and to make an offer on the deer painting please email to deerrescue@talktalk.net...

Click here to go to the South West Deer Rescue Website

Thank you for reading and hope you can help!









8 comments:

  1. HI Sharon What a wonderful idea and cause. Now I certainly would buy the book however I do not have a kindle, I have an IPad. Will it work on that? I am sorry I do not know too much about these things but if you do not know, I will find out. I hope it will work.

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    1. Yes you can download a free kindle app for the ipad. Gary has his book on his ipad and it works a treat!

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  2. I confirm that this is a really excellent book, beautifully put together. Stunning pictures and interesting points of view from the photographer and the artist. How lovely of you to be part of this charity book.

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  3. What a great idea, Sharon! I just tried to buy the book, but it said the amazon.co.uk Kindle store was only available to UK customers, and I am in the US. A lot of Kindle Books are available in both the UK and US amazon kindle stores...maybe the publishers could consider making it available in the US next time. It's the art (and art demos) that I'm interested in, though I'd be very happy to support British wildlife too! After all, the British countryside and its wildlife are why we "Anglophiles" love Britain (in addition to its literature and long history). Congratulations to you and Gary on having your work selected for the book!

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  4. Sharon, thank you for providing the link to the book on the US Amazon site. I just bought it and it is a beautiful book! I've always been curious about how you create your paintings. You have a real talent! It's amazing how you can capture the spirit of an animal in just two hours and with a limited palette. You always get the light just right, and they have such a fresh look, never overworked. I keep practicing but am nowhere near where I want to be. I think I will have to let go of my dependence on pen and ink, and just let the watercolor do the work. It was also wonderful to see your work alongside Gary's photos which serve as your inspiration. Thanks again for providing the link.

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    1. Thank you. Such kind words and so glad you enjoyed the book. There are many artists in there I admire and I enjoyed reading the thought processes behind their work. It was an honour to be part of it!

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  5. Beautiful painting, Sharon - you do great work. I will buy the book you mentioned.

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  6. Thanks for sharing this post, Sharon! This would really help spread awareness about what is currently happening on our environment. The increasing number of endangered species is just totally heartbreaking.

    Alison Perris

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I love hearing from you, thank you so much for leaving a comment - I will always try to leave a reply and pop over to visit your blog if you have one - although sometimes I may be slower than others, have a wonderful day xx