Wild4Art is a collective of four dynamic and talented wildlife artists – Darren Gilbert, Janet Matthews, Vida Pearson and Rodger Scott.

The four artists have previously worked and exhibited together with the Wildlife Art Society of Australasia and sharing similar ideas and ethics, they decided to form an exhibition group after a conversation over coffee in 2009. They have previously exhibited at the 2010 Melbourne Art Fair and in several parts of regional Victoria.

A passion for wildlife and art is their shared ground but their approach to expressing this is completely individual.

Janet works in the unusual medium of coloured pencil. She had to fight to make this a valid art medium at art school and fortunately she won! Pencil allows for both a fine and nebulous line and with its soft tone and gentle colour, Janet has managed to capture realistic detail while infusing personality into her renderings of birds and animals.

In striking contrast, Vida Pearson’s hand coloured linocuts show the dramatic use of black lines and bright watercolour to create stunning images reminiscent of Margaret Preston. Birds and flowers are lavishly displayed in bold colours and strong design.
Rodger Scott’s extraordinarily realistic birds are painted in watercolour and gouache. His subjects are small birds and animals in action or posed amidst their natural foliage. The finesse of Rodger’s work reflects his acute observation of wildlife.

Darren Gilbert’s mesmerising drawings of birds are finely executed to create works of exceptional mastery. In sharp contrast to the intricacy and finesse of his ink work, Darren also creates rustic sculptures made of recycled materials like corrugated iron, wood and wire. His subject matter influenced by birds and organic forms.