Biography

Gareth Watling was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire in 1964. After focusing on his artistic talent at school and later art college, he undertook a very brief career in advertising before he began to turn his attention to depicting birds as a pastime. Heavily influenced by his love of birds of prey he began to offer certain paintings for sale, but at this point the dream of painting for a living was a very distant prospect.

Throughout this period however interest in his work gradually started to grow and he began to aim towards the possibility of one day becoming professional. This quest was significantly helped in 1996 when, following a chance conversation with a friend, he was invited by Christie’s to enter a painting in a forthcoming auction of International wildlife art. Following the sale of the entry at this event (and then again in 1997) he continued to develop and promote his work further. The exposure both auctions gave him meant that he now found it easier to be accepted for events and to start a private client list which, after building up over a period of time, all led to him finally deciding to turn professional in 2010.
 

Very much an artist who works to his own agenda, and at times against convention, his work has ensured he has become one of the leading British bird painters of his generation.