Canadian artist Bruce K. Lawes has long held a passion for animal art and conservation, with inspiration coming from living with nature and his observations. “Through my art I try to evoke your emotion for wildlife and our natural world creating opportunities for conservation and awareness with your help,” says Lawes. “I seek out worthy programs to use my abilities to raise awareness and much-needed funds. I use my storytelling to attract people to the love of our natural world, where they too may protect it, and keep it safe, for the generations that follow.”Bruce K. Lawes paints A Moonlit Trail.

In the Shadows of Greatness, oil on linen, 24 x 36"

Lawes works in a realistic style, but he also mixes impressionist techniques so the viewers’ eyes will be directed to the focal areas. “As a representational artist this allows me to show exactly what I want to convey often with photographic accuracy,” he explains.“I can often go beyond what a camera can capture and manipulate a scene to express what I wish you to see. These are the elements that capture my collectors’ interest.”

Often Lawes begins painting once he has an idea in mind. He then uses his own photographs as reference, or he works with a professional photographer who will provide him access to their portfolio or go out and take new images. “I also studied taxidermy and falconry that has enabled me to learn and understand my subject. I can also sculpt, so I often will sculpt a subject so that I can see how the light source may cast a shadow accurately,” Lawes says. “Just this morning I was painting a tree in my composition and my reference photo had the light source in the wrong direction so I did a quick sculpture of the tree and with a light I positioned the light in the appropriate direction and was able to accurately solve the problem.”A Family Affair, oil on linen, 20 x 25"

For his compositions, Lawes looks for abstract shapes in the positive and negative spaces that naturally lead the viewer to look at them. “A great trick is to look at your painting in the mirror to see if the painting looks as good in the reverse. This will help you determine a great composition,” he reveals.

“My work generally has a continuing theme-that being wildlife-but I often like to try to create stories that are associated with each image when possible,” Lawes says. “I often title works to make a viewer wonder about the title in association to the painting, which often reveals the story I wish to convey.”

Lawes is represented by Settlers West Galleries in Tucson, Arizona; Trailside Galleries in Jackson, Wyoming; and at Westmount Gallery in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. —

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