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Chris McClelland is famous for his unique, fine and intricate pencil drawings of African and Australian wildlife, which is quite a contrast to his previous career. He spent the last 40 years managing large Australian sheep and cattle stations, one, which ran 40,000 sheep. Through this work he developed a strong understanding of animal behaviour from observing Australian native animals on the station.
His natural talent for drawing was recognized early, and he drew horses for a hobby. He has had no formal training.
But he grew up with a fascination for Africa, inherited from his parents, and on his first trip there in 1994, with wife Margie, a respected photographer, he fell in love with the continent. He began writing reviews and drawing wildlife and lodges for The African Safari Magazine.
Africa stimulated his sense of sight, smell and sound and he "found its
heartbeat deafening."
No other place on earth has the variety and numbers of such visible wildlife, and McClelland has since made nine trips to Africa, witnessing the powerful and unstoppable force of nature. He believes he has managed to gather Africa’s spirit and soul to fuel his desire to draw and paint the people, places and wildlife of the country with all of its harshness, savagery and beauty.
He has spent hours studying his subjects in their natural habitat, observing their movements, and noting the interactions between predator and prey. He uses sketches, photographs, video footage and his own well-honed powers of observation as reference to accurately portray the behaviour and anatomy of his animals. He draws them with such fine detail that each of his drawings can take up to 300 hours.
Coming from the land and pioneering stock himself, he believes that the spirit of the Australian bush and the African bushveld is a part of him, and he finds it easy to become one with it.
Chris is now receiving many awards in Australia for his extraordinary detailed wildlife drawings using of graphite and coloured pencils. The opening of the Chris McClelland Gallery at 84 Lachlan Street in Hay is attracting a large number of visitors to view his wonderful drawings and observe him drawing.
Chris has arrived back from a trip through South America sourcing more material to draw.
"Mischief in
Miniature"
| 2008 |
December Chris made a Fellow of the Australian Guild of Realist Artists for his consistent high quality of his drawings over a number of years.
Best Painting in the Summer Exhibition AGRA "Nature’s Fury"
November Best Painting in the Medal of Excellence Exhibition AGRA
"A Young Australian"
October won a Bronze Medal for his drawing "Intimate Intent" at the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia Bi-annual exhibition held at Montsalvat, Melbourne
July Voted People’s Choice at QWASI with "A Young Australian"
February Runner-Up AGRA - Autumn Exhibition "Conflict of Interest"
April Honourable Mention AGRA Drawing Exhibition "Rhino Post
Safari Lodge"
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| 2007 |
November Runner-Up at AGRA Summer Exhibition "Natural
Intent"
Highly Commended Award QWASI Brisbane "Courageous Curiosity"
AGRA Certificate of Recognition for consistent high quality of artwork
October Runner Up at the WASA exhibition "Sovereignty in Peril"
April Selected to exhibit in the "Drawing the Essential Art Exhibition" at AGRA Gallery a Highly Commended Award plus viewer’s choice for the exhibition
"Jock of the Bushveld"
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| 2006 |
October Selected to Exhibit at the Australian Guild of Realist Artist’s
"Australian Art Excellence" Awards for 2006 in Melbourne at AGRA "The
Matriarch’s Challenge" won People’s Choice Award
August A Highly Commended Award at the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize Adelaide with
"Unique Australians" 112 out 568 entered.
June "The Nursery" "runner up" at the AGRA Gallery’s winter Exhibition
May "Storm Over Broken Stripes" was be featured in the
"Antiques & Arts" Magazine & Art Gallery Magazine
May Invited to exhibit his latest drawing "Morning Chill
Over the Serengeti" in the "Drawing: the Essential Art" Exhibition at AGRA Gallery, Cnr. Camberwell & Inglesby Roads, Camberwell
April Exhibition at Griffith Regional Art Gallery until 1st May. Showing some early works of horses and all his later African & Australian wildlife works some originals, prints and photocopies as the originals are now over in Africa.
April/May "Five Ants" was selected to be hung at the Outback Art Prize in Broken Hill.
Feb. "Storm Over Broken Stripes" featured in The Australian Artist Magazine. |
| 2005 |
Nov. "I Dream of Africa Won"Best in Show" at the A.G.R.A.’s Summer Exhibition in Melbourne held at AGRA Galleries Guild House, Camberwell. Also won the People’s choice award at the same A.G.R.A.’s Summer Exhibition.
Oct "A Cautious Approach" Won "Best in the Exhibition" at the International Nature in Art 2005 Queensland Wildlife Artist Society Inc. held at Logan Art Gallery. Also, won People’s choice award at the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia annual exhibition in Melbourne
"Tumblebug" A Winner in the Waterhouse Natural History Art Drawing Prize in Adelaide
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| 2003 |
"Lace Monitor" was a finalist in the inaugural South Australian Museum, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize held in Adelaide - August
"Eye of the Matriarch" was given a Highly Commended certificate at the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia annual exhibition held in Melbourne
- November.
Chris was asked to draw lodges for Isbindi Africa Lodges at Kruger National Park
"Plains Camp", "Rhino Walking Trails", Kosi Bay Nature "Kosi Forest Lodge" and near Zulu Battlefields near Dundee,
"Isbindi Zulu Lodge" - September to November -South Africa.
Also, to draw for Adrian Gardiner of the Mantis Collection at Kruger National Park,
"Jock of the Bushveld". At Shamwari Game Reserve near Port Elizabeth some of their Lodges,
"Long Lee Manor", "Bayethe", "Riverdene Lodge" and "Eagles Cragg" and in the Little Karoo at Sanbona Game Reserve,
"Tilney Manor".
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| 2002 |
To Zimbabwe to draw three new lodges for Landela at Lake Kariba, "Kiplings",
"Fothergill Island" and "Katete".
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| 2001 |
To Botswana to draw the two new lodges in the Okavango Delta, "Gubenare" & "Elephant Valley Lodge". |
| 2000 |
Chris asked again to return to the Okavango Delta, Botswana to draw the three Walking Trails Camps of
"Mantis", "Eden" and "Baobab" Camps for Landela |
1999
&
1998 |
Chris was asked to return to Zimbabwe and travel around the Landela Safaris Lodges drawing
five lodges. These where "Gache Gache" at Lake Kariba, "Chokamella" at Hwange,
"Sekuti’s Drift and "Masuwe Lodge" at Victoria Falls and "Landela near" Harare. The Okavango Delta, Botswana,
"Xudum" and "Rann’s Camp".
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| 1997 |
Chris asked to travel to Zimbabwe for the African Safari Magazine to visit "Pamuzinda" Safaris Lodge out of Harare and to write up about it and to draw the lodge.
Chris asked to design the front cover for the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia 1997 catalogue.
He drew the "Eastern Bearded Dragon".
The Limited Edition Print set of four drawings won the Golden Award at the Australian National Printing Awards for 1996 for van Gastels Printers of Adelaide. They also won a silver award at the International Print Awards.
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| 1996 |
"River Horses" won the Catani Drawing Award at the annual Wildlife Art Society of Australasia Exhibition (WASA) held in Melbourne. The first competition Chris had ever entered.
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