Featured Artist Brett Jarrett

Enjoy the incredible wildlife portfolio of Australian artist Brett Jarrett, and visit his website for more of his work.

 

 

What are my goals? To understand tonal balance and improve my technique and economy of brushstrokes. I love looking at painters that are masters of their craft according to what the painting conveys, the impact brought about by correct tone. Whether it be landscape or portraiture making something look believable while still boldly painted is inspiring and just outright enjoyable.

 

 

Polar subjects are close to my heart. The sheer beauty of a vast landscape dotted with wildlife enduring the worst of climates is hard not to get impressed about. I’ve recently been working on polar bears and emperor penguin chicks. At the extreme opposite ends of the planet, their physical beauty, structure and texture make them a painter’s delight.

 

 

I find it difficult to specialize in a particular area of animal art when there are just so many incredible subjects that I’m motivated by, and I can easily be led away to paint anything from big cats, dolphins, rare seabirds or Australian parrots.

 

 

All share the same attractiveness to the painting naturalist’s eye, structure, movement, texture and colour.

 

 

I’m captivated by birds and mammals, how species are constructed, how they move, socialize and take on the worst elements, the longest migrations, avoid predation and successfully reproduce, all along making us feel alive and connected alongside them.

 

 

To capture those elements on canvas keeps me awake at night visualizing new paintings. Having spent my life searching for and observing wildlife worldwide, my list of species to paint and the stories I wish to convey to the viewer will probably never be completed; however as the expression goes “It’s about the journey, not the destination.”

 

 

I think my mantra still holds true after all these years:

“Just as a portrait artist, any animal painted in the realism genre deserves to be accurately portrayed. As an artist, know your subject and try your best to represent it as beautifully as nature does.”

 

Brett Jarrett invites you to follow him on Facebook.