JOHN SEEREY-LESTER John Seerey-Lester was born in Manchester, England, and studied art at Salford Technical College in Lancashire, England. He worked in the fields of advertising and publishing before becoming a professional artist in 1974. His respect for the work of fellow English artist, David Shepherd, heavily influenced his decision to travel to Africa and paint wildlife. It was his first excursion to Nairobi, Kenya, in 1980 that convinced the successful painter to change genres from Victorian street scenes to wildlife. This became a turning point in his career. In 1982 Seerey-Lester moved from England to Florida to pursue wildlife painting. Since then he has traveled all over the world in search of the wildlife he portrays on canvas. He has traveled to most parts of Canada, Alaska, China, Africa, Antarctica, South and Central America, India and Nepal. A year after relocating to the western part of Florida, he signed with Mill Pond Press. Since then he has had some 300 limited edition prints published. Seerey-Lester devotes much time and attention to the preservation of wilderness and wildlife. Many of his paintings and limited edition prints have aided nonprofit conservation organizations. Seerey-Lester has been honored with many awards. A one-man sell-out show in Great Britain, opened by renowned ornithologist and artist Sir Peter Scott, was held on behalf of the World Wildlife Fund. His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, commended Seerey-Lester for his wildlife conservation efforts. He has been selected to exhibit in the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum's prestigious "Birds in Art" and "Wildlife: An Artist's View" shows each year since 1983. He was honored as Ducks Unlimited Canada's artist for their 50th Anniversary stamp and print program in 1988. Mill Pond Press published the book entitled, Face to Face with Nature: The Art of John Seerey-Lester, in 1991. A second book titled Impressions of India and Nepal, based on his fieldwork there, was published soon after. His work has also displayed in several other museums such as the Bennington Center for the Arts, The Gilcrease Museum, the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the Nature in Art Museum. |
Russell Fink Gallery |