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The Wildlife Artist Dennis McCallum was born in Wigtown, Scotland, UK, in 1951 and moved to the Dumfries area with his parents at an early age. His natural talent for drawing emerged and developed at school and it was here whilst studying for his “A” level that the fact that he was colour blind was also discovered prompting Dennis McCallum to disregard any thoughts of art school or pursuing a career as a wild bird artist. In fact it was not until the mid 1970’s that he gained the confidence to include colour in the paintings of his beloved Scottish wildlife and he took seriously the idea of painting professionally. Since this time he has refined and perfected his distinctive self taught style.

Following his lifelong love of the British countryside he trained as a land surveyor with the Ordnance Survey of Great Britain and worked on the maps of rural south west Scotland for several years. He has also been one of the few registered keepers for the Department of the Environment caring for injured birds of prey, especially owls and releasing them back into the wild once fit and well again. Spending his working days in the wild and rugged Scottish countryside in such close proximity to birds and animals has given him a familiarity and assurance with his subject which is readily seen in his completed works of art.

Though he studied painting and sketching to A level at school, Dennis McCallum cites his association with various art societies as more influential on his early development. Through them, he received guidance from other wildlife and Scottish landscape artists leading to the first opportunities to exhibit his work in galleries in Scotland and the UK.

From the outset, Dennis McCallum has pursued his interest in drawings and water colour paintings of birds and wildlife. His work was well received with shows at local galleries in the Galloway area being quickly followed by invitations to exhibit with galleries such as David Messum in Windsor, The Malcolm Innes in Edinburgh and HC Dickins in London, UK.

Throughout his career as a self taught artist, Dennis McCallum has experimented with mediums such as oil and pastels but always returned to his love of watercolour which he finds the best for capturing the intricate detail which uniquely epitomises his work. Similarly, although his interests have broadened from the local Scottish birds of his early days through to general European birds and wildlife - he has remained true to his subject -the birds and wildlife of Scotland.

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