Rachel Lewis – Aussie Wildlife Artist
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Growing up in the Hunter Valley region of NSW, Australia, nature was never far from a young Rachel’s heart. Her earliest memories divulge the deep passion for wildlife that has continued to grow throughout her life. Some of her fondest recollections are of days spent in the bush, quietly observing and taking in all of her surrounds; listening to birds, observing lizards and admiring the local wallabies. Rachel’s fascination with wildlife only grew stronger after a move to the beautiful Bellinger Valley in northern NSW, as did her affinity with nature in general. Since then, years spent living in Thora and later in Dorrigo provided never-ending inspiration; Rachel’s sheer love and appreciation for nature and wildlife and her drive to see it protected for the future is clearly evident in her incredible artwork.
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Rachel's amazing, intricately detailed artwork has drawn incredible praise from all corners of the Globe; it is very clear to see why she is considered to be one of the World's premier wildlife artists.
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Wren in the Vineyards 1
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Limited Edition of 250 Prints Worldwide
Inspired by the Superb Blue Fairy- wrens that are commonly seen darting between the grapevines in the Hunter Valley vineyards in their never ending search for insects to feast on; this work and its sister piece “Wren in the Vineyards 2” were both painted during the Autumn of 2019. The originals of both of these beautiful artworks were painted using oils.
Wren in the Vineyards 2
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Limited Edition of 250 Prints Worldwide
Inspired by the Superb Blue Fairy- wrens that are commonly seen darting between the grapevines in the Hunter Valley vineyards in their never ending search for insects to feast on; this work and its sister piece “Wren in the Vineyards 1” were both painted during the Autumn of 2019. The originals of both of these beautiful artworks were painted using oils.
Majestic Beauty
By Rachel Lewis
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Limited Edition of 100 Prints Worldwide
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I really loved painting this gorgeous Hyacinth Macaw portrait, the birds colours and expression with its head and neck feathers slightly ruffled, make for a great combination that helps to bring the painting to life. I used oils for this piece, and did my best to capture the birds sensitivity and impressive intellect, in particular its incredible stare.
Winter Wonderland
By Rachel Lewis
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Limited Edition of 100 Prints Worldwide
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For as long as I can remember I have loved Gang-gang Cockatoos; they are just so uniquely beautiful. When I was asked to paint them by a close friend, I not only wanted to do the birds themselves justice in depicting them as accurately as possible, but I wanted to make the piece stand out from other works featuring this species. As these cockatoos frequent the cold regions south of Canberra, I decided that a snowy setting would make for a stunning visual, complimenting the beauty of the Gang-gangs perfectly.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos
By Rachel Lewis
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Limited Edition of 99 Prints Worldwide
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One of Rachel's more recent works, depicting a pair of majestic Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. This piece was inspired by Rachel's love of this species and as you can see she has truly captured the beauty of these birds.
Glossy Paradise
By Rachel Lewis
Limited Edition of 250 Prints Worldwide
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This artwork was created after many visits to the Myall Lakes National Park on the Mid-North Coast of NSW. Glossy Black Cockatoos are commonly mistaken for Red-tailed Blacks, however they are in fact very different. They are a fairly rare species that feeds almost exclusively on the seeds of Casuarina trees.
Ambush
By Rachel Lewis
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Limited Edition of 100 Prints Worldwide
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A local collector commissioned me to paint a Wedge-tailed Eagle; he previously had me paint a White-bellied Sea Eagle and wanted a new piece to complement it. The only guideline I was given was that he wanted the bird to be depicted in a "dramatic" pose, other than this I had the freedom to create the piece as I wished. Above all, I of course, wanted the eagle to be the dominating focal point of the artwork, but by no means did I want the surrounding scenery to be plain and uninspiring. After much thought, and due to not wanting to paint the bird within the stereotypical “outback” setting, I put it to the buyer that I would depict it zeroing in, about to ambush its prey in the snow covered high country around Polblue, Barrington Tops, NSW; he loved it and so this piece, titled “Ambush”, came to be. Inspiration for the scenery was also drawn from a trip to Tasmania in January 2019.
As with all of my works, I wanted this piece to be everything and more that the buyer was expecting; to do so, I lived and breathed this artwork for 2 and a half months. I created it using oils on linen stretched over backing board.
White-bellied Sea Eagle
By Rachel Lewis
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Limited Edition of 250 Prints Worldwide
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I was asked to paint a White-bellied Sea Eagle by an art collector. I travelled to Queensland, where I was able to sketch and photograph them at close range in Cairns and on Fraser Island. I enjoyed creating this work, contrasting the perfection and serenity of the bird with the chaos of the tumultuous ocean.
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