In 1990 Virginia McKenna’s secretary walked into Croydon Fast Frame gallery with the George Adamson print for framing. The owner, John Evans, was very impressed and wanted to know more about this artist and soon stocked Gary’s limited editions. This was the start of a relationship Gary was to have with the Fast Frame franchise, selling his art in about seventy five of their shops throughout the UK.

VIRGINIA McKENNA AND THE LATE BILL TRAVERS HOLDING GARY’S DRAWING OF GEORGE ADAMSON AT HIS MEMORIAL SERVICE, LONDON 1990

This was the beginning of widespread recognition of Gary as a leading wildlife artist. He had been awarded WWF’s Fine Art Prize at the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) annual shows in 1989 and 1990 and in 1991 his highly successful solo show was held at the Medici Gallery in central London. His drawings and prints were exhibited in charity shows and framing shops throughout the UK and in 1992, his relationship with Fast Frame culminated in prime-time television promotion of a print of Bengal Tigress and Cub for the ITV Telethon charity appeal, raising around £20,000. But the franchise went into liquidation soon after, leaving Gary to build individual relationships with the remaining shops.

This was also a time of travel, repeatedly visiting Kenya and Tanzania with Dave, photographing and observing wildlife. He also made two trips to Venezuela and one to Portugal to spend time with rescued Iberian wolves. Seeing animals in the wild has always been important to Gary who says “when you see animals in zoos they so often look like they’ve had the life knocked out of them.”

YOUNG WILD ELEPHANTS PLAYING IN TSAVO EAST N.P. KENYA

While in Kenya Gary gathered references at the famous elephant orphanage run by Dr Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE, MBS, for his drawings. “His drawing of two of our orphaned elephants, Ndume and Malaika, hangs in my house, and is one of my most treasured possessions” says Daphne.  “To me it is the work of a Master, not only accurate in every detail, but subtly portraying the character of the animals with deep sensitivity.”

Already becoming famous for his association with environmental and wildlife charities, Gary planned a major solo show with Born Free and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) of which Dave was a founder and Executive Director. He chose the Mall Galleries, just next to the national ICA gallery and up the road from Buckingham Palace. This massive gallery at first seemed too large for a solo exhibition, but once Gary’s originals and prints had been hung the stage was set for an extraordinary opening.

In November 1994 a long line of people wound down the Mall waiting to get into the show while TV cameras interviewed guests. Over 900 prints were sold and all 22 originals and with typical generosity, Gary donated everything to the two charities raising £90,000.

The opening was attended by celebrities including Virginia, friend Rula Lenska, artist and conservationist David Shepherd, CBE, FRSA, FRGS. Actor and comedian Bernard Cribbens auctioned many items, which sold well above their published price. This was probably when Gary’s prints first started to gain additional value on the secondary art market.

Television presenter Jilly Goolden visited the show on one of three special charity evenings and bought the original of Baby African Elephant Suckling, later describing it as her most treasured worldly possession.

GARY WITH ACTRESS JOANNA LUMLEY AT BORN FREE CHARITY SHOW AT THE MEDICI GALLERY, LONDON

Much has been said of the secondary market in Gary’s limited edition prints. Some collectors have bought many copies on publication as an investment. One of the happiest must be the person with Green Turtle, originally published in 1987 by Greenpeace at £8.50, who sold it for £3,500.00!

In 1997 Gary was awarded the Fine Art Trade Guild’s Best Selling Artist of the Year, an award only ever given to an artist once. He is proud to be a recipient amongst such distinguished artists as Beryl Cook, David Shepherd, Mackenzie Thorpe and Jack Vettriano. He has also won the John Solomon Trophy twice, given for the best selling images by a living artist, a double accolade only equalled by David Shepherd and Jack Vettriano.

The mid 1990s were a very sad time for Gary. He and Dave celebrated the life of their border collie, Jaff, by updating an old drawing after his death, publishing prints and donating all the money to support orang-utans in Indonesia, and starving working elephants in Kaziranga National Park in north-eastern India. He spent a lot of time with his friend Paul, who died in 1996. His huge drawing of a Siberian tiger, Supreme, was named after Paul’s favourite singers – the Supremes, in his memory.

Although he worked on very few originals during this time Gary was approached by film producer David Felber to make a documentary about his work. In 1998, with partner Dave, he travelled to Borneo to observe orang-utans and shoot some footage for the film. Drawn to Wildlife was released on video in 1998 and received so well that it was later transmitted by the Discovery Channel. It also included time-lapse footage of Gary drawing Nile Crocodile inspired by crocodiles photographed in Samburu National Park in Kenya. First planned as a life size drawing, Gary published a drawing of the head and front legs and the task of finishing this drawing still remains.

Gary has been the subject of two other films, Wild Vision shown on the National Geographic Channel, and a second by the same production team that made the first video. Wild at Art was filmed in Kenya with friend and actress Rula Lenska at Daphne Sheldrick’s elephant orphanage, Tsavo East National Park and at his home in Spain.

NATURE IN ART MUSEUM, GLOUCESTER, UK

Gary has a close relationship with the internationally renowned Nature in Art Museum in Gloucestershire, UK. He has been an artist in residence almost every year since 1991 and his art is represented in their collection. They have also sold over 3,000 of his prints to wildlife art enthusiasts who visit this stunning museum and fall in love with Gary’s art. He also regularly submits his drawings to the SWLA annual exhibition in London. His art continues to attract accolades, his drawing of snow leopards, Soulmates, winning the SWLA’s Visitor’s Choice award 2007 and the original selling for his record high of £16,500.

Gary tries to draw only when feeling inspired which means he creates between one and four drawings in a year. He is a perfectionist, constantly trying to improve and is his own harshest critic.

He has recently visited Tanzania and plans a trip to Queensland, Australia. Gary lives in Ibiza, Spain and London with Dave, his partner of 31 years and their two dogs.