With a surname like Rainbird, perhaps a life in nature and nature art was always on the cards.

I’ve spent most of my working life trying to understand and protect wildlife and the places it lives, and drawing and painting those animals has been part of that the whole way through.

I grew up in South Africa and studied at the University of Cape Town, where I completed an Honours Degree in Zoology and a Master’s in Conservation Biology.

Life then brought me to Australia, where I worked at both Perth Zoo and Adelaide Zoo. I’ve never been a fan of keeping animals in captivity, but I saw the work as a chance to improve the lives of animals that were there for historical reasons. I was privileged to have some many very special encounters with a wide range of remarkable animals.

After moving to Cairns, which sits between two World Heritage Areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforests, I ran a regional conservation organisation for five years. I then spent 18 years in government, much of it focused on understanding and responding to the climate change risks facing the people and environments of the Torres Strait, Australia’s most northerly region, between Cape York and Papua New Guinea.

Four years ago, I left government to give my full attention to art, teaching and life coaching.

Africa still has a strong hold on me, and each year I lead a safari to Botswana with EarthArk Africa, a mobile safari operator I rate among the best on the continent.

Wherever I can, I work from my own reference material, and I take every chance to get out into the field to watch and photograph the animals I paint.

I’m largely self-taught, and I’ve learned a great deal from the masters of this field, among them Robert Bateman, Ray Harris-Ching, Paul Bosman, Guy Coheleach and William T. (Bill) Cooper, whom I was lucky to know as a friend.

I work mainly in graphite and oils. I love graphite for its naked simplicity, and oils for their richness, transparency, depth and flexibility.

Each week I also teach art from my studio to a dedicated group of students.

Years in conservation have shown me how much we stand to lose, and I believe art has a real part to play in helping people feel connected to nature and value it.

If a piece here stays with you, or you’d like to talk about an original or a commission, I’d be glad to hear from you.

JR