Geraldine Simmons’ Wildlife Portraits Raise Awareness for Conservation
Geraldine Simmons is an Australian artist using her creative talent to bring awareness for wildlife conservation. Through her stunning wildlife portraits, Geraldine Simmons captures the textures and emotional expressions of her animal subjects, creating an intimate connection between the viewer and the wildlife she paints. By inviting us to honor these animals, Geraldine Simmons is able to raise awareness for wildlife conservation and help people appreciate the beauty of our planet.
“The Cost Of Conveneince” Goache And Coloured Pencils by Geraldine Simmons.
Growing up, Geraldine Simmons felt a strong connection to the natural world and used art to express her admiration. The simple beauty of nature captivated her and influenced her observational skills and patience, essential qualities for creating detailed works of art. In 2005, she traveled to the jungles of Borneo and had a life-changing encounter with an orangutan. This encounter inspired her to use her art to raise awareness for wildlife conservation.
During her creative process, she uses lost edges to create vignettes that draw the viewer to her subject’s eyes, while the lack of background draws all focus to the animal itself. Her work is rich in detail, accentuating the fur, character, and personality that shines through their eyes. Each animal looks like they are asking something from you or wants to connect and share a message with the audience.
Despite the species, Geraldine aims to capture the sensitivity and innocence in her work, hoping to inspire viewers to reconnect with the natural world.
Geraldine Simmons finds her inspiration from the wildlife she sees in the world around her. As an animal lover, she strives to portray her subjects in an honest and true light. She aims to connect the viewer and the subject as if they’re in the same room.
She believes that art can be an effective way to raise awareness and encourages people to act responsibly regarding wildlife conservation. To her, art is not only a creative outlet but also a powerful tool for communication. “I want to make sure I’m doing my part,” she says. “If I can show people how amazing these animals are, they will be more likely to do their part in protecting them.”
Geraldine Simmons’ process of creating wildlife portraits is both methodical and meditative. Starting with a reference photo, Geraldine identifies her subject’s texture and emotional expression, then sketches it out with pencil or paper. Once the outline is complete, she begins to draw with pastels, colored pencils, or scratchboard, layering the textures and adding color to bring the artwork to life. Through careful observation and attention to detail, she captures each animal’s personality while ensuring that their innocent expressions and character shine through.
Geraldine Simmons – Top Featured Artist.
“Avalon Was Home” Scratchboard by Geraldine Simmons.
Before she draws, she takes a moment to connect with the animals, imagine being in their world, and listen to them tell their story. Then, with deep respect and admiration, she takes time to perfect each mark she makes with the utmost care – to honor and respect them. A process that is slow and deliberate and unfolds one stroke at a time in mixed media (gouache, colored pencil, and pastel) or scratchboard. She pays close attention to their eyes – even the tiniest change in the direction of a stroke or length can change the subject’s emotional expression.
She spends a long time perfecting these things, passionate about communicating that animals are connected to us, with awareness, and are innocent, sentient beings just as we are.
Geraldine Simmons is driven to continue her mission of wildlife conservation through her artwork. With a passion for raising awareness and creating meaningful conversations, she hopes to inspire more people to join the movement. She is also looking into opportunities to collaborate with other artists and organizations to share her message. In the future, Geraldine plans to use her artwork as a vehicle for positive change and to impact the world around us.
“Soulitude” Gouache And Colured Pencils by Geraldine Simmons.
Viviana Puello
Editor-in-Chief
