As Shepherd’s favourite animal, elephants were the subject that the artist returned to most often for his wildlife pictures. Early in his career Shepherd was given the chance to see his first elephants in the wild by Mervyn Cowie, a pioneering conservationist, at Amboseli in Kenya; an experience which was to have a profound effect upon his life’s work. Describing Amboseli as ‘raw, unspoiled Africa’, Shepherd delighted at the opportunity to get close to elephants in great numbers, all the while observing and photographing them for his subject paintings. These such encounters led to a special affinity between the artist and the animal; a connection which found a perpetual outlet in his artistic production. Often working en plein air, Shepherd’s depictions of the African bush offer perhaps the most authentic representation of its wildlife and scenery, made possible by on the spot observation. Armed with his selection of oil paints, palette, and brush, the adventurous artist would wander the reserves of Africa in search of his next subject. In this particular example, straying from a disfigured tree, this elephant has treated itself to a dust bath in relief of the heat of the midday sun. A true master of colour, Shepherd most wonderfully represents the bright orange hue of the African dust in which these animals delight. Gladwell & Patterson have long championed David’s artistic and charitable work, across the three generations of the Fuller family. Our 275-year-old gallery has been privileged to display David’s superb paintings over the decades. Together the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, the gallery held the first retrospective exhibition of David’s work since his death in January 2019. The exhibition raised awareness and funds for the Foundations continuing work with a percentage of proceeds from the sale of the paintings during this exhibition donated to the Foundation for educational projects in Zambia.