Paul Henery on the Stories Behind his Work
This post celebrates our current Paul Henery exhibition, WILD NORTH: Wild Places, Wild Weather, Wildlife, which runs from March 11th - 23rd April 2022. Paul seeks to highlight successful animal conservation stories, such as that of the reintroduction of the White-tailed Sea Eagle, on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Many thanks Paul for giving us an insight into your inspiration and experiences.
Loch Na Keal, Isle of Mull with Sea Eagle Coming Over, 2021
Oil on board
60 x 81cm
’I’ve been visiting the Isle of Mull for many years and fell in love with it the very first time. The landscape is dramatic, the wildlife spectacular and easily accessible from the roads around the island.
The island became even more attractive when, following the re introduction of White Tailed Sea Eagles, the first few released birds chose to nest on Mull. The birds immediately became the target of unscrupulous egg collectors from all over Britain and a Police operation was mounted called Operation Easter. Back in 1995 I was privileged to assist the RSPB with this operation protecting the birds and their precious eggs.
There were only one or two pairs and we patrolled the island while the birds were on their nest therefore we didn’t actually see many Eagles. Of course I was well compensated with encounters with many other fabulous species which provided me with many subjects for sketches and paintings.’
’Jump forward 25 years and I still regularly visit Mull to capture it’s stunning light which plays upon huge basalt cliffs like those here at Loch and Keal. This vast sea loch has always been an inspiration and I’ve painted it in it’s many moods. I’ve watched Sea Eagles, Golden Eagles, Otters and Seals from it’s rocky shores.
On my most recent trip in 2021 , which is when this painting was completed, I encountered no fewer than 15 Sea Eagles in one day. I sketched and produced watercolours of all the birds and then later in the studio made a series of oil paintings of this great example of a conservation in action success story.’
Climate Crisis, Harbour Seals, 2021
Oil on board
80 x 120cm
’The heavy industry of Teesside may seem like an unusual background for a painting of wildlife but I chose it because it tells a story.
These are Harbour Seals and were once common on the River Tees, however due to pollution and lack of fish the seals were absent for about 100 years. The seals are back now in smaller numbers and this is a sign of improving river quality.
I wanted to paint a picture based on sketches made in the field at Greatham Creek of Seals hauled out on the mud flats but to include the real backdrop of power stations and factories burning fossil fuels and threatening further pollution.
Whilst the return of the seals is a positive conservation story it is also a cautionary tale of potential extinction if we do not take action now to reverse the climate crisis but also put biodiversity first.
I painted the power station at sunset with a kind of apocalyptic sky which hopefully leaves the viewer with an pleasing but also uncomfortable image which poses questions and stimulates discussion.’
To find out more about Paul’s process, enjoy the videos below. In the video on the left, Paul gives us a brief tour of his sketchbook, which is a key part of the development of his work. Paul often paints and draws ‘en plein air’, outdoors in nature. To see Paul painting an eagle sketch, check out the video on the right.
PAINTING AN EAGLE
TOUR OF PAUL HENERY’S SKETCHBOOK