A FORMER Northumbria Police wildlife crime officer turned artist is due to be exhibited at next month.
Paul Henery's exhibition Wild North: Wild Places, Wild Weather, Wildlife, will take place from March 11 to April 23 at Gallagher & Turner in Newcastle.
While Paul was a wildlife crime officer for 13 years, he was one of just six in the country, and in 2006 he was named WWF UK Wildlife Law Enforcer of the Year.
Using oil paints, he addresses the climate crisi in a series of new paintings dealing with the industrial landscape of Middlesbrough.
Read more: Concern over increase of vaping products sold to teenagers in Darlington
Whilst some paintings deal with the impact of the usage of fossil fuels, Paul wanted to highlight successful conservation stories, including the reintroduction of the white-tailed sea eagle, on the Isle of Mull in Scotland.
This series of paintings was made in the summer of 2021, when on a single day Paul encountered 15 eagles, a very different story to 1994, when as a Wildlife Crime Officer, Paul took part in operations to protect the eagles from egg collectors which contributed to the extinction of these birds.
Paul continues to develop work addressing the climate crisis and the loss of our planet's biodiversity, while drawing inspiration from wild places, wild weather and wildlife.
Read more: Meet Festival of Thrift's new board members and how to get involved yourself
Paul has exhibited worldwide, including in exhibitions in Israel, the Netherlands and the USA.
He studied at Newcastle College of Art and Newcastle University.
He has been presented with numerous Wildlife Art awards including but not limited to, Bird Illustrator of the Year 1995, BBC Wildlife Magazine Wildlife Artist of the Year 2002, the RSPB Fine Art Award 2004, and the Artists for Nature Foundation Fine Art Award in 2005.
After retiring from the police force in 2018, Paul opened Niche Gallery, alongside his daughter, artist Katie Henery, allowing him the time and space to pursue his ideas full time.
This exhibition is his first major solo show since his retirement.
--
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.
For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054
Share