The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales are delighted to announce a collaboration with The Emma Mason Gallery to raise funds to protect wildlife and wild spaces like Skomer Island.

The Sussex-based Emma Mason Gallery specialises in work by printmakers working in Britain from the 1940s onwards. The gallery recently acquired a selection of beautiful wildlife prints by the late artist, James T.A. Osborne (1907-1979).

Osborne was a passionate nature lover. He spent his youth watching and sketching wildlife in the countryside surrounding his parents’ farm. He was one of the founders of The Society of Wildlife Artists and his work is held in museums across the world including the Victoria and Albert Museum and The Ashmolean.

Osborne’s works are a combination of wood engravings, linocuts, and silk screens prints, illustrating a range of wildlife, with a special emphasis towards birds. His art features some of Skomer Island’s iconic residents, like Puffins, Oystercatchers and Curlews.

The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales manages over 100 nature reserves, including Skomer Island. Skomer, located off the coast of Pembrokeshire, is one of the most important seabird colonies in the world. It is home to the world’s largest population of Manx shearwaters and nationally important numbers of Puffins, Guillemots and Razorbills amongst other species.

In the 1980s Osborne’s family printed a group of beautiful limited-edition lithographs from his original linocuts and some superb limited-edition engravings printed directly from Osborne’s original wood blocks. The Emma Mason Gallery want to use sales of these prints from Osborne’s artwork to protect the wildlife he was so passionate about. They are delighted to have joined The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales as a WILDFundraiser. For every James Osborne print sold, they will donate 25 per cent to support the Trust’s conservation work.

Skomer Island Warden Leighton Newman said, “Much of our funding to monitor and protect these birds for today and into the future comes directly from fundraising and any amount of money raised contributes to this vital work.

“These prints by James T.A. Osborne are a glimpse into the observational skills of a true naturalist, bringing movement and colour to life. My particular favourites are the watercolour studies, the way movement and light is captured is beautiful.”

If you’d like to support this fundraiser, visit www.welshwildlife.org/emma-mason-gallery.