Southam wildlife artist wins two awards in internationally acclaimed competition

In the Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition, Sarah Holmes’ charcoal on A3 paper piece depicting a polar bear hunting on the shrinking Arctic ice, titled On Thin Ice, was selected by Andy Parkinson - one of Europe’s most awarded wildlife photographers - as his Luminary Choice of the Animal Behaviour category.

Parkinson praised the piece as "bold” and “an incredible piece of art”.

Furthermore, On Thin Ice was one of only fifteen pieces to be awarded Highly Commended, with the judging panel commenting that the work “captures the motion, darkness and raw intention of this powerful predator, highlighting the fragile balance of our changing world".

Winning two awards means Sarah was one of the most celebrated talents in this year’s competition.

She said: “This recognition is quite astonishing.

“As someone who creates a limited amount of art, it’s amazing to see my work can stand out alongside such incredible artists and help to support vital conservation efforts.”

The Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, hosted by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, is recognised as one of the world’s leading art prizes dedicated to celebrating wildlife and raising funds for conservation projects worldwide.

The competition attracts thousands of entries from professional and emerging artists worldwide.

Sarah has also recently been a finalist in Explorers Against Extinction’s Sketch for Survival competition being highly commended for her entry in 2022.

Her award-winning work is available to purchase online and can be seen on her website at https://sarahholmes.art/