Pollyanna Pickering interview

[Guest guest]

*Dear all,*

* As you will know, Mrs Pollyanna Pickering, one of Europe's leading

wildlife artists, was kind enough to lend her voice to the anti elephant

polo campaign sometime ago. Recently, I had the honour to interview her, a

transcript of which is attached for your perusal. Please feel free to

circulate and share, but kindly provide the appropriate credits. It was

enlightening and educational for me to interact with her and everytime we

talk, I stand more enriched. I am also pleased to note that she cares for

humans as much as she cares for animals.*

* I am posting this document with permission from her. The introduction is

taken from her website.*

* Hope you find her views as sensitive and thought provoking as I do. Thank

you for your time and trouble, Mrs Pollyanna Pickering.*

* Best wishes,*

**

* *

*Pollyanna Pickering is widely recognized as Europe's foremost wildlife

artist, and is the most published fine artist working in Britain today. She

is an honorary patron of The Wildlife Art Society International, and a

signature member of the Artists for Conservation Foundation and the Society

of Feline Artists. She is also a full juried member of the New York based

Society of Animal Artists.A familiar face on TV, the most recent documentary

about her work Made in England was brodcast on BBC1 last year.Pollyanna was

born in Yorkshire, and is pictured left making an early start on her career!

She began her real art training at Rotherham Art School, where, in her first

year she won the award for most promising student - and met her future

husband, Ken Pickering, an industrial designer. She went on to study for a

further three years at the London Central School of Art, graduating with

distinction.Pollyanna's original work has been exhibited in top galleries

internationally, including the Royal Academy. Her paintings hang in private

and corporate collections world-wide from Siberia to Australia, and

celebrity collectors of her work include John Hurt and David Bowie, while

Sheik Mohammed has a specially commissioned series of paintings of his ascot

winners. Her work has been presented to Princess Anne, and she has even been

commissioned to paint Her Majesty the Queens' favourite racing

pigeon!Pollyanna's work will be familiar to most people through her

extensive range of published work. Her limited edition and fine art prints,

books, ranges of greeting and Christmas cards and gift ware are sold

throughout the UK and exported into over eighty countries world-wide.For

fifteen years Pollyanna ran a registered hospital for birds of prey from her

home. Caring mainly for injured and orphaned raptors, she also rehabilitated

foxes, hedgehogs, squirrels and other mammals, all of which feature in her

work. This close contact with the creatures in her care is reflected in the

realism and vitality of her work. Pollyanna's determination to paint only

animals which she has observed in their natural habitats has lead her into a

remarkable and unique series of journeys into some of the most inhospitable

areas of the globe. She was interviewed by on 10th August,

2009. The attached is the transcript of the interview* :

 

 

1) *Where were you born? *

 

 

 

* *Leeds, England

 

 

 

2) *Did you always like animals?*

 

 

 

Yes – I loved animals from being a small child. I spent a lot of time

drawing, and loved to try and sketch the barn owls quartering the fields

behind my home.

 

 

 

3) *Did your parents encourage your interest in animals?*

 

 

 

Yes – my parents were also very fond of animals and wildlife.

 

 

 

*4) What did you study and where?*

 

 

 

I always loved drawing and painting as a child, and when I announced

that I would like to go to art school, my headmistress summoned me to her

office with a portfolio of my best work. She looked through it in silence,

slammed it shut, and said ‘You’ll never make a living at that!’ Luckily my

parents had a little more faith in my abilities, and encouraged me to

complete a foundation course at Rotherham Art College, and I then went on to

study for a further three years at the London Central School of Art.

 

Although I didn’t paint a single bird or animal the entire time I was art

college, I began to go in that direction shortly after I went freelance. I

have always loved wildlife, and I believe that that showed through in my

paintings.

 

 

 

 

 

5) *What made you take up painting as a profession?*

 

 

 

I always intended to be a professional artist from the day I started

art college. The one thing they don’t teach you is how to make a living –

so after I left I spent a couple of years teaching art in high schools. I

took the courage to leave teaching and go freelance 40 years ago.

 

 

 

6) *Which was your first painting exhibition?*

 

 

 

I held an exhibition in Leeds, at the home of a well known opera

singer, exhibiting a wide range of paintings including landscapes and

abstracts as well as wildlife.

 

 

 

7) *When did you feel that you could become a full fledged professional

painter?*

 

 

 

Probably when the first exhibition sold out – and got good reviews in

the press. It gave me the confidence to know that people liked my work

enough to buy it.

 

 

 

8) *What animals have you painted in the wild and in which countries?*

 

 

 

I have been very lucky, and traveled widely to study and paint

wildlife. I have traveled to the High Arctic to paint polar bears, where I

traveled by dog sled and camped on the ice in tents and igloos, several time

into Africa (Kenya, Namibia, and South Africa) to paint big cats, and into

Ethiopia to track Abyssinian wolves. I have also painted wolves in

Transylvania and North America, and the native wildlife of Central America.

I worked in temperatures of -60 to paint Amur Tigers in the Russian Far

east! One of my most famous expeditions took me to the Tibetan borderlands

to search for giant pandas – and I am planning to return there next year to

see the aftermath of the earthquakes. I was granted a fellowship by Artists

for Conservation to travel into the Kingdom of Bhutan to paint Himalayan

wildlife, and of course I have traveled in India to paint tigers and other

wildlife. I have also painted European wildlife in Bavaria, and our own

native wildlife in the UK!

 

* *

 

9) *What has been your scariest experience whilst painting animals?*

 

 

 

This happened in India –we were on elephant back with a very

experienced mahout following tiger paw prints on the ground, clearly visible

in the soft mud, and obviously very fresh. Our mahout, Nassir, urged his

elephant Punkali to follow the tracks, which lead along a narrow trail. At

one point the trail split into two, and the tiger tracks disappeared. Nassir

paused. Listened, and then leant forward and spoke quietly to Punkali. She

raised her trunk and sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of the

tiger. Nassir had asked her which way the tiger has gone! She indicated the

left hand fork. We followed the trail which lead into a narrow steep sided

gully. A trickle of water ran through the bottom. After some time Nassir

found the paw prints once again - a distinct trail which lead along the

gully, before turning and heading up the steep bank. He faced Punkali

towards the bank, and peered into the undergrowth - and then urged her up

the steep sides. As Punkali took her first couple of steps up the bank,

without any warning a huge male tiger exploded out of the undergrowth at the

top with an immense roar. He stopped at the edge of bank, his face a mere

five feet away from ours as we sat astride the elephant, his blazing orange

eyes on our eye level! Punkali reared up trumpeting loudly - and I found

myself slipping from Punkali's back. Fortunately Nassir spotted the

movement from the corner of his eye, and swung round to grab the back of my

jacket and somehow managed to hang on and haul me back to safety. Punkali

retreated down the slope as the tiger stood his ground at the top, snarling

and spitting at us. Certainly an experience which I will never forget!

 

 

 

 

 

10) *Do you draw any distinction between domestic and wild animals?*

 

 

 

I love to paint all animals – but there is nothing like observing a

wild creature in its natural habitat.

 

 

 

11) *What do you think of keeping animals in zoos and circuses?*

 

 

 

I would like to see an immediate ban on keeping wild animals in

circuses. It is impossible to offer them the space and care they need when

traveling in small beast wagons, and it is demeaning to see them performing

tricks for ‘entertainment’. There are of course also questions over the

cruelty of many training methods used. Shows like Cirque du Soleil have

shown that circuses do not need animals to be entertaining. In an ideal

world we also wouldn’t have any animals in zoos – although I do respect the

fact that many zoos do try very hard to provide a good environment for their

animals through enrichment programmes, the quality of zoos varies immensely,

and there are many which should be closed immediately. I also believe there

are some animals which should never ever be kept in zoos as they are so

unsuited to captivity – especially polar bears which are nomadic, and in

their natural habitat roam thousands of miles during their lifetime. However

I am aware that some zoos use the money they raise to support valuable

conservation projects in the wild – Twycross zoo in England are currently

working very hard to protect the habitat of the Bonobo in the Congo. As an

artist I need to see animals in the wild – they look so different from the

animals you see in cages.

 

 

 

12) *Could you name some of your wildlife heroes?*

 

 

 

I have been lucky to meet some amazing and dedicated people working

on behalf of wildlife – and some of the people who I admire the most are not

well known – they are people working out in the field, or in wildlife

sanctuaries to rescue and rehabilitate animals. I have supported the Born

Free Foundation for many years, and admire Virginia McKenna greatly for her

ceaseless dedication to ending the suffering of captive animals. I recently

met Claudio Sillero, the Founder of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation project,

and I firmly believe without the work of him and his team these beautiful

animals would already be extinct in the wild. Jane Goodall's work was

pioneering in its field – and David Attenborough has probably done more than

anyone else to promote a general knowledge of and interest in wildlife.

 

 

 

13) *Did you ever meet Gerald Durrell?*

 

 

 

No, unfortunately I never had the chance to meet him – although I did

once see him driving his jeep on Jersey!

 

 

 

14) *What do you think of the policy of sustainable use of animals?*

 

 

 

If this question refers to the idea of culling wild populations as

sustainable use I have deep reservations about it. There are many issues

here, not least the methods used, and selection of animals – and in most

cases I believe that nature has its own methods of population control – if

an area cannot support an excessive number of animals, the population will

naturally decline as the weakest will fail to survive, and we can often see

natural fluctuations in wild populations. Another problem is the methods

used for deciding culling quotas – how do you decide the optimal population

density?

 

 

 

15) *Are you a vegetarian ? Do you approve of veganism as a lifestyle?*

 

 

 

Yes I am vegetarian – although I have sometimes had to eat meat when I

am traveling – especially in the high arctic, where of course it is

impossible to eat crops, so we had to share the predominantly meat based

diet of the Innuit! I have been vegetarian for about 30 years. I am not

vegan, but I would certainly support anyone who chooses this lifestyle. I

do however only buy free-range organic eggs, and select cheese and milk from

ethically approved sources. In the past I have supported both Compassion in

World Farming, and the RSPCA’s Freedom Food Campaign – both excellent

projects aimed at improving the quality of life for farmed animals. I would

like to see a complete ban on the production of battery eggs, and never buy

them, or food products which may contain them.

 

 

 

16) *What is your view on fur, leather and silk and do you use these

products? Do you think it is cruel to boil silkworms to obtain silk and if

the material should be replaced by a more humane fabric? I ask because not

many people recognize cruelty in silk. *

 

 

 

I do have some leather shoes, where the leather is a by-product. I

avoid silk, as I do think the production method is inhumane – and I would

never wear fur! In fact I helped launch an anti-fur campaign with the RSPCA

in Hong Kong some years ago – fur coats are sadly still a status symbol

there.

 

 

 

17) * Can you narrate some of your interesting experiences in **India**?*

 

 

 

There have been so many that we’ve written a book about some of them!

(*The Eye of the Tiger, Otter House*) India is such a fascinating country,

and so varied in itself! My best moments have of course been wildlife

related – my first ever sighting of a wild tiger, a very rare sighting of a

leopard in Ranthambore, visiting the tigers rescued by Born Free at

bhannerghatta – but there have been so many others – traveling on the

trains, meeting remarkable people like Swami Nirmalanda, and my daughter

being presented with a sloth bear cub on her 21st birthday to name a few!

 

* *

 

18) * Are you in touch with any animal groups in India?*

 

* *

 

* *I am still in correspondence with the Wildlife Trust of India

(thanks to your introduction!) and hope to find a way to work with them.

 

* *

 

19) *Have you helped any animal welfare groups in **India**? *

 

* *

 

* *I have raised funds for the sanctuary at Bhannerghatta, and also for

Project Tiger through my exhibitions.

 

 

 

20) *What do you think of the work of WWF?*

 

 

 

The good thing about WWF is that as such a large and respected

international organization, they are able to work in countries which other

charities can’t – we have seen their work in China at a time when the

government would not allow other charities in to many areas. We also visited

their offices in Bhutan, where they are the only international wildlife

charity in the entire country – and were very impressed by their work there,

especially their Integrated Conservation and Development programme.

 

* *

 

21) *Which is your favourite animal?*

 

 

 

Impossible to choose!! I tend to be very involved with whichever

animal I have just been studying – at the moment I am painting cheetahs.

 

* *

 

22) *What are your views on animal experimentation?*

 

 

 

I am delighted that in March 2009, legislation came into effect,

introducing a total ban on animal testing of cosmetics and cosmetic

ingredients throughout Europe. There is no reason to use animals in cosmetic

testing at all, and I welcome the ban. Medical experimentation is a

slightly more difficult ethical issue, which would take a long time to

discuss in detail! However I think it is absolutely vital that we encourage

the use of non-animal alternatives in scientific procedures, and halt

increases in the numbers of animals used. Sadly many Experiments are

ethically abhorrent, and of course there are always question marks over the

validity of testing on animals. I look forward to a day when alternatives

are available and animal experimentation can be phased out completely.

 

 

 

* *

 

23) *Is there an inherent conflict between animal rights and human rights?*

 

 

 

 

Absolutely not! I think almost the opposite – everything on the

planet is interlinked, and it is vital we find a way to co-exist.. I am

convinced that the refusal to believe that animals have intelligence and

emotions has conveniently allowed us to exploit them both individually and

as species – the more I work with animals the more I appreciate the complex

social structures and emotional lives they have.

 

 

 

24) *Do people in **England** care more about animals than humans?*

 

 

 

No! Although Britain is definitely a nation of animal lovers, I don’t

think that it would be true to say we care about animals more than humans! I

am sometimes asked if it is wrong to give money to animal charities when

people are suffering as well and I find it a very strange question, because

in my experience, most people who support animals also donate to good causes

which help people – it is not an either or decision! If you are

compassionate you generally want to help alleviate suffering whether animal

or human and I find it odd that people find it possible to limit their

compassion in this way! Although the Pollyanna Pickering Foundation

primarily works to help animals and conservation, we also on occasion make

grants to other causes close to my heart, including cancer support and

children’s charities. At the moment we are collecting toys and clothes to

send to an orphanage in Ethiopia. I also give a lot of talks every year,

and many are fund-raising events for non-wildlife based charities such as

The Children’s Society, and Air Ambulance.

 

 

 

25) *What do you think of groups that promote direct action to promote

animal rights?*

 

 

 

I understand their passion, but I think it is important to work

strictly within the democratic system, and would condemn all illegal

activity. I support any campaigns to help animals which stay within the

law, and do not cause any harm to people!

 

 

 

26) *Do you see a distinct conflict between conservation and animal

rights?*

 

 

 

No – again the two should work hand in hand. By conserving habitat we

should be able to create areas of the world where animals can live in the

wild with a minimum of human interference.

 

* *

 

27) * What are the prospects of a wildlife painter?*

 

 

 

Hopefully very good! I am lucky that painting has no language

barriers, which has meant that I can work all over the world. I am

currently working on my sixth book, about wolves of the world, and am

painting towards my winter exhibition which will be a celebration of

Scottish wildlife.

 

 

 

28) *Please elaborate the goals of your foundation.*

 

* *

 

The Foundation was inaugurated just after I had taken the difficult

decision to close my hospital for injured birds of prey, and wanted to find

a way of carrying on my conservation and rescue work with wildlife.

Initially the Foundation was set up to raise funds for wildlife hospitals

and sanctuaries carrying out similar work in rehabilitating British

wildlife, and continues to buy equipment and build pens for many centres in

the UK. However the Foundation’s scope soon widened to raise funds for the

protection and rescue of wildlife worldwide as well as emergency disaster

relief. Funds have been raised to help protect Rhinos in Africa, Wolves in

Ethiopia, orphaned polar bears in the arctic, and help build a tiger

orphanage in Nepal. Equipment has been purchased for project tiger rangers

working in India, and many smaller grants have been made to wildlife and

environmental projects. We also campaign on environmental and animal welfare

issues.

 

 

 

*29) **How many countries have you visited? *

 

* *

 

* *Just over thirty I think! However my cards, prints etc are sold in

over 80 countries round the world, so I ‘ve got some way to go to catch up!*

*

 

 

 

30) *How would Pollyanna **Pickering** like to be remembered?*

 

* *

 

Through my painting.