Pip McGarry, 69, became Marwell Zoo’s artist in residence in 1999 and has gone onto become one of the world’s leading wildlife artists, travelling to the likes of Botswana and Kenya.
For more than two decades the zoo has displayed a gallery of Pip’s work, with some of his paintings going onto sell for five-figure sums.
Speaking to the Echo, he said: “Being the artist in residence at Marwell Zoo has been a catalyst for me career.
“For years I was an amateur painter, it was something that ran in the family and eventually I was able to go full-time, which was a huge leap.
“I’ve always loved wildlife paintings, and I was very fond of the zoo and had tried to set up various exhibitions there before they eventually took me on for a year and I ended up managing to stay.”
READ MORE: Jane Austen exhibition opening night in Southampton
Over the span of his time at Marwell Zoo, Pip has raised more than £170,000 by selling artwork and putting on yearly exhibitions with the help of the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society, that he founded and is now president of.
Pip’s reputation became so great at Marwell, that in 2004 he featured in his own Meridian television series, A Brush With The Wild.
The artist was tasked with teaching celebrities such as Linda Robson, Leslie Joseph, and Jenny Éclair, that he co-presented with Anneka Rice.
“It was very exciting and a brilliant experience,” said Pip.
“It was a wonderful series, and I got to meet some amazing people who were all friendly and incredibly down to earth.
“We were scheduled for a second series before the plug was pulled by Granada at the last minute.”
Marwell Zoo is showcasing a wildlife exhibition in May, showcasing some of Pip’s work.
