Jonathan Walker British, Contemporary

Jonathan Walker was born in 1966 in Staffordshire and grew up in the Moorlands, where early experiences of the landscape shaped his enduring interest in the natural world. Much of his childhood was spent exploring the countryside with his father, himself an artist, and this close observation of wildlife continues to inform his practice. As a teenager, Walker studied Philosophy, Theology and Fine Art before training as an Occupational Therapist, working for many years with individuals experiencing severe mental health challenges. In 1991 he moved to Devon, where he continues to live and work. The landscapes of Dartmoor and the surrounding countryside provide the setting for much of his work, with subjects drawn from direct observation of animals such as badgers, foxes and small mammals encountered near his home. Working primarily in watercolour, Walker combines careful draughtsmanship with a restrained, earth-based palette of siennas, ochres and muted greens.

His paintings sit within the tradition of British wildlife illustration, yet are distinguished by their emphasis on character and individuality. Each animal is observed closely and presented with a degree of personality, grounded in the physical realities of its environment. Surface, texture and setting are treated with equal attention, resulting in compositions that reflect both the structure of the animal and the conditions of the landscape it inhabits.