Phil Blackburn - The Artist - His Life & Experience

Phil Blackburn has drawn all his life, encouraged and guided by his artist father Norman. You can read more about the work of his father at the Blackburn Family Art website.

This grounding together with a life long interest in animals and wildlife generally and birds of prey in particular, resulted in Phil spending many years painting wildlife to fund his passion for falconry.

His paintings have been seen at most of the country shows from the CLA Game Fair to the Royal Show, Stoneleigh, England his commissions varying from the Lincoln red bull to Red Rum at the Newbury Bloodstock Show.

Phil's paintings were seen at the National Cat Show and Crufts and breed winners commissioned portraits from seal point Siamese to Sealyham terriers.

Other animal studies undertaken included big cat paintings to help raise money for the Joy Adams Born Free Foundation of Kora National Park, Africa. From this Phil developed an interest for painting all animals in the wild including elephants, lions, tigers and leopards.

His wildlife paintings lead in all directions including wildfowl studies which were exhibited through the British Wildfowl Trust, all of which were bought by enthusiasts visiting the centres.

After exhibiting all over Britain through the Rural Craft Association where many people would remember their first sight of these paintings, and in Europe often at events visited by members of the Royal Family, he is now using his skills to paint animal and pet portraits in oil-pastel on velvet, a medium pioneered by his father and then jointly pursued as a family business until his fathers untimely death.

These paintings are treasured possessions of hundreds of people, not just as superbly realistic works of art, but also as lifelike lasting reminders of loved and cherished companions.