Norfolk-based wildlife artist Phil Daniels is one of the lead artists in the GoGoGorrillas! project. This has involved painting several sponsored, life-size gorillas for a trail that will take place over the summer across Norwich in aid of Break and the Born Free Foundation.
Phil Daniels in his Maverick Gallery, Cawston, where he works on wildlife paintings and his latest series, Emotional Connections: “My task is to make people look hard at the image, feel what is felt and translate that into a word that describes it.”
More than 100 gorilla sculptures will be paraded around the city for 10 weeks from 25 June. Each has been decorated in a variety of colourful and exciting artwork, and created by schools, community groups and professional artists.
The project is organised by arts and education company Wild in Art and Break, which supports children, young people and families across East Anglia. The large gorillas will be auctioned at The Forum, Norwich, on 3 October.
Mr Daniels is an internationally acclaimed artist, who creates wildlife, landscapes and other varied works. His art has been displayed in prestigious galleries, such as the Mall Galleries in London, and featured on national television, in books and on DVDs. In recent years, his work has also been shown at the Ratcatchers Inn in Eastgate.
In addition to paintings, Mr Daniels offers fine art prints for purchase online through the Maverick Gallery, which is tucked away in a former shop building off High Street in Cawston.
In his open studio, he creates wildlife, landscapes and other varied works. His gallery features pieces on permanent display in various media, from pastels and acrylics to Chroma paints and graphite.
Mr Daniels has works in some of the largest private collections around the world with sales in excess of 700 original paintings and thousands of prints. “Most of my work is in collections in the USA and Canada, but a lot of local people wouldn’t even know I’m here in Cawston,” he admitted.
Born in the early 1960s, Mr Daniels grew up with a love of nature and initially became a gamekeeper. Spending all his time with nature and animals led to an appreciation and love of wildlife.
Upon turning professional as an artist, he concentrated mainly on wildlife art, and has worked with the Wildlife Trusts and contributed to various charities involved in this area.
In recent years, several trips to Africa led Mr Daniels to teach children there, as well as teaching in the UK to schools and art groups. As a member of various art and wildlife organisations he is recognised in the art world as an artist of highly detailed, emotional pieces.
His latest series of work in progress is entitled Emotional Connections, in which he aims to convey a range of core human emotions through studies of facial expressions.
“This has been a natural progression from painting birds and animals,” Mr Daniels explained. “Our emotions can change in an instant. The tiniest of moments can see us go from angry to happy, for example. These are always seen in our faces, in the expressions we display.
“The aim of the collection is to effect people in some way, to get you to remember or talk about the work, to see how each work connects with you, or how it might connect you with an event in your past.”
Mr Daniels hopes to produce around a dozen pieces in the final collection, all drawn in black or grey Conté sticks (crayons comprising compressed powdered graphite mixed with a wax). He is currently trying to find a suitable local venue for showing these provocative works when completed.
Maverick Gallery. Tel: 01603 879378
www.maverickgallery.co.uk
“Respite” by Phil Daniels