Art which really is Drawn from the Heart

‘Flying Free’ – by Gary Hodges

Acclaimed wildlife artist and long-standing Born Free friend, Gary Hodges, is known the world over for his astonishingly detailed and soulful pencil drawings of wild animals.  

Having first met Born Free’s Co-founders Dame Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers MBE in 1989, animal-lover Gary has generously donated artworks to be auctioned in aid of Born Free, and held several high-profile exhibitions to raise funds in support of our work over the years.

This October, to mark Born Free’s 40th anniversary year, Gary is proud to present Drawn from the Heart – an exhibition and exclusive private viewing at London’s Mall Galleries. A series of specially selected, hand-embellished prints are now available to bid on through our silent auction, and we asked Gary about the inspiration behind some of these iconic images.

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HIPPO

“I originally created this drawing in 1990 as I had seen very few prints of hippos before, and I was keen to challenge boundaries and perception of what people deemed aesthetically pleasing to hang on their walls.

“I’ve been lucky enough to visit East and Southern Africa, often observing hippos basking in the sun along the mud banks, and I was keen to capture the smooth, pebble-like body, and create an image which captured the serenity of the scene.”

ELEGANCE

“Servals are such beautiful, elegant cats. I knew they would be perfect subject-matter for a drawing as soon as I photographed a series of pictures of them on my travels.

“With ‘Elegance’ I wanted to evoke the classical style of an ancient Egyptian feline, and I really enjoyed making the flow of the spots accentuate the shape of the cat.”

GREEN IGUANA

“I’m fortunate to have visited Venezuela twice, in 1990 and 1992, and found the wildlife utterly breath taking.

“It was during my second trip, that I completed this drawing and three others, again keen to challenge the stereotypical subject matter of wildlife art.

“I went for a simple, side profile of the iguana, so that attention is focused on its detail and imposing character.”

Hippo, Elegance and Green Iguana are just three of the exquisite artworks available to bid on now, as part of the Drawn from the Heart silent auction.

Limited tickets are also still available for the star-studded Private View on 1 October – don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet Gary, and spend the evening with some of our most loyal celebrity patrons, including our incredible Co-Founder, Dame Virginia McKenna!

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