www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday April 18, 2008 - 33 Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, April 18, 2008 33 Wildlife artist gives back to nature By Paloma Migone SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Bruce Lawes is helping the environment one painting at a time. For the second consecutive year, the photo-realist artist's work has been selected as Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC)'s Waterflow Stamp & Print Artist and for the National Art Portfolio (NAP) program, which will help raise money to conserve wetlands, fund research and support educational programs. "It's an honour to be recognized. The most important thing for an artist is for people to love what you're doing," said Lawes, who sold his first painting when he was just 13 years old. "As an artist you love to do it and to have the recognition and appreciation of others is the ultimate reward." The realistic representation of wildlife and nature in Lawes' paintings could easily be confused with a photograph, illustrating his artistic aptitude. His selected artwork are The Grays of Autumn, which is a realistic depiction of two wolves in a vivid fall scenery and A Moment To Reflect, featuring two wood ducks, one standing on a dead tree branch. Lawes was selected from hundreds of artists, who submit their artwork for NAP. Once selected, the artist donates the piece for DUC fundraising. It's not the first time Lawes has picked-up the brush for a cause. The 46-year-old from Oakville also created paintings to help raise funds for children's organizations, such as Reach for the Rainbow. Lawes painted several pieces with a challenged and unchallenged child within a Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn theme. Each poster had a symbolic story. One hangs in his den with a slogan that reads, "Every child is unique, admire their abilities." "I believe that someone who is in a position that can help has an obligation to help. If my work can bring about a message that is positive, I'm more than willing to pursue that avenue," said Lawes. His paintings have also brought awareness to the endangered Asiatic Black Bear in China for a project used to support the Animals Asia Foundation and raised funds for The Ruffed Grouse Society in the United States, among others. "I've always loved animals and nature," LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER CONSERVATION PAINTINGS: Bruce Lawes with two of his paintings -- A Moment to Reflect (left) and The Grays of Autumn (right) -- that have been chosen for the National Art Portfolio program run by Ducks Unlimited Canada. said Lawes, whose favourite theme is wildlife. major inspiration. And to live up to his motto, "An artist who "Once you develop the natural ability it paints our natural world must continually becomes experimentation with techniques experience all its wonders before he may truly and I was fortunate enough to work with capture them on canvas," Lawes has travelled Robert Bateman and learn some techniques around the world to study his subjects. from him, when I was up in a field trip in He has visited Africa, Europe, Egypt, and North Bay." Florida Everglades. He also enjoys driving to Lawes also studied the art of taxidermy, northern Ontario destinations: Killarney The preserving and stuffing animals, which helps French River, Muskoka and Algonquin Park. him with capturing feather and fur details for Although Lawes' traveling experiences his realist paintings. taught him about art, he also attended the The artist also uses other sources of referOntario College of Art and Design for a short ence to depict animals. He rents stuffed birds time, but without completing a Bachelor of Arts. from the Royal Ontario Museum, takes pho"When I was in the classes, I was selling tographs, or visits his friend, a breeder and my work at that time, whereas everyone else master falconer, to see the birds closely. was a student, so I just left and continued to "I have access to his 200 birds of prey, so I pursue a professional side of it." can literally have a falcon on my arm and be Lawes' artistic skills didn't come from able to research pretty much all birds of school -- rather, they were innate -- prey." although he also credits his development to And sometimes he refers to the falcon in other fellow painters, who have helped along his freezer. the way--specifically, Robert Bateman, a The bird died of old age and was loaned to him by the master falconer to use for his paintings. "It's critical that the scientific accuracy of a bird is captured in the painting because it's critiqued by not only the art community, but also the scientific community as well." Lawes' photo-realistic skills are just some of his many talents. He is also a photographer, sculptor and a painter of figurative art. He was recently selected to create 24 paintings for American Liquor Alliance that will appear on their bottles' labels. Lawes also owns a publishing company. The artist bought his own printers when he realized it would be cheaper to start a business than print his work externally. His company specializes in Giclee prints and does work for DUC. "I have two aspects of involvement with [DUC]. I support them as a conservationist. I'm a very conservation oriented in keeping the environment clean and safe and protecting animals." Do you want to see all your favourite flyers anytime, anywhere? Look for these great sponsors: Save time, save money.