August 2022

It is exactly thirty years ago, when working as a sculptor, that I was diagnosed with M.E. Ill for some time, and then continuing to experience typical ongoing chronic symptoms of this post viral plague, I was forced to abandon my life as a sculptor. After a period of some improvement, punctuated with relapses, (which I still suffer) I gradually decided to explore the less strenuous art of painting.

A satisfying and fulfilled era as a fairly well known and active sculptor had come to an end, and with it all my previous connections and outlets. My temporary retreat from public life became all but permanent, more or less until the present time. My life, as I recovered, became devoted to learning to paint, gradually developing techniques and experiencing a growing delight in my new form of expression.

Over the past several years my passion for Cats, inspired and nurtured by my own beautiful Cats, developed into an overall passion for wild cats of all sizes. And thus began my long period of painting to raise money for Wild Cats for various organisations, including London Zoo, initially with David Attenborough’s help, enthusiasm and support with the sale of a large oil painting of Blake’s Tyger. I also raised funds for Edinburgh Zoo, the Big Cat Sanctuary, and, most recently, Wildlife Vets international., (WVI), a superb small, but brilliant group of Wildlife Vets working internationally. A decade ago the biggest and best dedicated Big Cat organisation in the world, Panthera, offered to put on a show of my work in New York, with which to raise money for them, but sadly, this was cancelled due to the crippling after effects of the big financial crash of 2008, and 2009. But, like the turning of a magic circle, unusual circumstances once again put this offer on my table. And now I am in the final stages of preparation for this long awaited New York exhibition with Panthera. (The date, as yet, is undecided, but will hopefully take place early next year)

Having finished the painting work for the New York show, I am now concentrating on my other various subjects, which are quite wide and varied. I am presently working in watercolour, and the one under lying trait which runs through my work, be it of Big Cats in action, or the sensual movement of Dance or the three dimensional thrill of flight, is the capturing of movement.

So now,, at this point in my life I feel, once more, the need to share my work with other artists and the vast and varied public in various countries throughout the world, which, since my retreat from the world, has been opened up in various ways by the World Wide internet.

So, late in life as it is for me now, I would like to relaunch, with new work, in a new way. I will now be endeavouring to connect through Social Media and Pinterest, and maybe an online gallery, as well as exhibiting physically, “in the flesh”, so to speak

I look forward to taking you with me on my journey.

Penny Wheatley