Artist exposes wildlife in photography collection

Thirty-five years ago, Don Edwards, a business machine repairman and parttime artist, decided that a career traveling around the world creating oil paintings of wild animals sounded like a pretty good life.

Since then, Edwards, 77, has been all over the world shooting photographs of his subjects and then creating meticulouslypainted artworks of them that sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

Additionally, he has created massive wall murals for multiple cities, won Artist of the Year for the Louisiana Wild Turkey Federation, was commissioned by the Red River Wetlands to print a commemorative painting to help preserve Bodcau and Loggy Bayou, presented work to President Ronald Reagan and this year was commissioned by FLW Outdoors to create a painting of the Red River for their Forrest Wood Cup Bassfishing Tournament and Expo event, which was held on the Red River and at the CenturyLink Center in early August.

To get inspiration and photographic details on his subjects, Edwards has gone to the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Canada, Alaska and The Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and Kruger National Park in South Africa, among other places, often for weeks at a time to find that perfect shot, which has resulted in a huge collection of over 20,000 photographs.

Edwards is essentially self-taught, but after about 15 years of painting he started taking workshops and master classes, including some with world-renowned artist John Seerey-Lester. He works in acrylic and oil, and also has been teaching art for many years.

While working at the business machine company, Edwards had a side job shooting wedding photographybut had an allergic reaction the chemicals he was using to develop photos.

“I needed something else to do, so I got some paints and started painting. I kept working at it for about four years and started getting a response. I had these three paintings I had made prints from and started making more money selling those prints than I was making at work, so I quit and that was the last job I had.

“I’ve been to Africa three times and Yellowstone 45 times. I work from my own photos and don’t copy anyone else’s work,” he said.

Most of Edwards’ trips take about two weeks, and he tries to make it to Yellowstone at least once each year. He travels along with his wife, Susan, who also helps him run the gallery.

“I had a bull elk chase me from his herd in Colorado, and I had to hide behind a vehicle to get away from him,” Edwards said. “I took a picture once of a mountain lion jumping from one rock to the next. I’ve seen crocodiles, rhinos and hippos up close, and had elephants charge me in Africa. Let me tell you, when you have an elephant coming at your vehicle and the driver is backing up fast, all you can think is, I hope that driver knows what he’s doing, because if he doesn’t then we’re in trouble.”

On his trips, Edwards uses a camera with a telephoto lens to help him get closer to his subjects. He said his favorite thing to paint is probably ducks and deer, and he puts a large amount of thought into the accuracy of his work.

“I count every feather on the bird to make sure it’s correct,” he said. “And the background and landscape is as important to me as the anatomy on the animals.”

He even got a permit from Wildlife and Fisheries to raise a few forest animals himself, including a white tail deer.

In this region, Edwards has completed some large works that including a diorama of a wooly mammoth for the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum and a 160-foot wall mural of the history of the Grand Prairie for an agricultural museum in central Arkansas.

This past February, two of his paintings sold for $19,000 at the Oil City Rotary Club. The most he’s ever sold one for was $25,000. He said he paints around 15 works a year.

“It all depends on how hungry I am,” he laughs. “There’s been some hard times, sure. Anything you do is like that, but you keep going. One year, I sold three at a show at once for $37,000. It feels real good when you can sell work like that and pay your bills and continue to do what you love.”

One of Edwards’ long-term plans is to create his own coffee table book, but until then, he’ll be preparing for trips to Montana and Colorado in the coming months, as well as South Dakota for the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup to get photos for new paintings.

–Eric Lincoln

SEE MORE

You can see many of Edwards’ paintings, which include fish, ducks and other birds, lions, leopards, crocodiles, rhinoceroses, zebras and more, on the walls at Nature Art Gallery, 2837 Summer Grove Drive, in Shreveport. Call 687- 9000 for information, or to see Edwards’ and Bounds’ work online, go to www. donedwardsart. com, and www.noahbounds.com.