Dafila Scott's "Natural Moments" exhibition - Tim Clutton-Brock signs Meerkat Manor book

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Meet Tim Clutton-Brock and have your copy of his book "Meerkat Manor - The Story of Flower of the Kalahari" signed by him, at the opening of wildlife painter Dafila Scott's upcoming exhibition, on 4th November in Lavenham (UK).

For prints, cards and other items based on Dafila Scott's art, please click here.

Dafila Scott presents her latest work inspired by the wildlife of the Kalahari: pastels drawn from life, or from sketches taken at the Kuruman River Reserve, of meerkats, mongooses, or wildebeest, and other animals of Africa.

The exhibition is opened by TV presenter Nigel Marven at 12:00, on Sunday 4th November at the Wildlife Art Gallery in Lavenham, Suffolk, England. Tim Clutton-Brock will be signing his book "Meerkat Manor - The Story of Flower of the Kalahari" until 3:30 pm. The exhibition "Natural Moments" has work in addition to Dafila Scott's by Chris Rose and sculptor Nick Bibby.

Advance enquiries about Dafila Scott's paintings can be made with the Wildlife Art Gallery (click here for further information). The gallery is located in the centre of Lavenham, one of England's prettiest medieval villages, approx. 100 km Northeast of London (click here to see map).

Dafila Scott about her paintings

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"The inspiration for most of the paintings in this show came during many happy hours spent watching and drawing animals at the two places where my husband, Tim Clutton-Brock, studies meerkats in South Africa – one on ranch land near Van Zylsrus in the northern cape and one in what is now the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park. At both places the meerkats are habituated to people and you can walk with them.

When we worked in the National Park, we were continually trying not to become so engrossed in watching the meerkats that we forgot to look out for lions. By contrast, on the ranch we can walk with the meerkats and also watch eland, hartebeest, gemsbok and wildebeest without worrying about predators. Scientists have also spent time habituating pied babblers and yellow mongooses, so you can watch them at close range, which is great if you want to draw them.

The remaining pictures in the show were inspired by things seen in Europe or UK – butterflies in an alpine meadow in Switzerland, shelducks at Slimbridge in the summer, Bewick’s and whooper swans at Welney in the winter, gannets in west Wales and lapwings and goldfinches on the fen near Wicken.

Sometimes the inspiration for a painting will be an unexpected colour seen in nature and the challenge is to translate this onto paper or board. How to play one colour against another, juxtaposing similar or opposing hues is a constant puzzle and always exciting."

About Dafila Scott

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After training as a zoologist, Dafila turned to drawing and painting. Most of her work is inspired by landscape that features animals or places with which she has become familiar. As a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists, she has exhibited regularly at their annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries as well as at regional shows. She has also illustrated books and articles.

Working mostly in oils, sometimes water colours and more recently pastels, she paints either from life or from a combination of field sketches and memory. She has taken courses with painters and art teachers and is especially grateful for the inspirational teaching of Robin Child.

Recent work includes both figurative wildlife paintings and abstract landscapes inspired by visits to Kibale Forest in western Uganda and to the South African Kalahari. However, she is equally happy to gain inspiration at home in the garden or on the surrounding fen land.

More information on Dafila Scott's work can be found on dafilascott.co.uk

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