Painting a secret world

So, who is Jonathan Pointer?

I’m 51 years old and have lived in west Wales for the past 12 years, having previously grown up in a little village in Berkshire. I trained as a Natural History Illustrator and still occasionally work as an illustrator on projects including postage stamps for Liechtenstein and a range of seasonal biscuit tins for Marks & Spencer. I’m married to Angela, who works under the name Angela French and is a talented artist herself. It’s wonderful being married to another artist because she understands the uncertainties and emotional investment that comes with the calling.

Tell us about growing up in the Middle East.

As a young child, my father, who was a structural engineer, worked with some of the big energy companies of the day. From the time I was about three until nearly eight years old, we lived in a community in Saudi Arabia that was set within the desert, and I often think about the extraordinary freedom my mother gave me. Our home was separated from the desert beyond by just a four-foot brick wall, and whenever I had free time, I was out collecting beetles, scorpions, poisonous spiders and lizards. It was a great grounding for a young naturalist.

Do you partake in fieldsports?

I don’t come from a shooting background but have always grown up in the countryside. I have shot grouse and pheasants in the past and really enjoyed it. As long as it’s legally done, I’ve got no problem with shooting at all. In fact, being a practical person, I believe the benefits of shooting far outweigh the negatives. I enjoy coarse fishing – and whilst I love eating venison, I think I’m too sentimental to pull a trigger on a deer. I do shoot rabbits, rats and squirrels with an air rifle though, as when you keep birds you have to be prepared to deal with the vermin they attract.

Why game species?

Many of the species under the umbrella of “game” are just very exciting – a glorious pheasant in spring, the cryptic woodcock in winter, the dash and ultra-alive presence of deer, the ungainly proportions of the running hare. A black grouse on a lek is pure drama. Some of the most amazing spectacles I’ve seen have been shivering in a small hide at dawn waiting for black grouse to arrive.

There’s also a lot of mystery surrounding many game species. I love the old narratives about woodcock, such as how they’re supposed to carry goldcrests across the North Sea on their backs. I’d love to actually paint a woodcock flying over the North Sea with goldcrests clinging to its back. This is the nice thing about art: you can explore things that can’t be proven with a photo.

What or who are your influences?

I love the natural history art that stems from the great era of nature discoveries – before the camera ruined the romance of art! If I have any influence, it would be Victorian art, with the ‘truth to nature’ philosophy of John Ruskin, and the artists of the Pre-Raphaelite movement such as John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, John Brett and Arthur Hughes.

I believe that content beats technique. You might be the most perfect technician in the world with flawless brushwork, but your work might be deathly boring to look at, whereas something a braver artist might knock out in a naive, unpolished style could be so much more satisfying.

Describe your studio.

When we moved to Wales, our little cottage had a rear conservatory. With the sides lightly curtained and the roof painted opaque white, the lighting is reliable now, but the temperature is not! It’s either freezing cold in winter or boiling hot in summer. I’ve got a big Victorian-style easel that dominates the room, which also serves as a boot room. There are trail cameras lying around, a table full of feathers I’ve found on walks, plant seeds I plan to sow, and various other natural history-themed objects. It’s quite a mess by anyone’s standards. Angela and I love books, so we have hundreds of art books, photography books on natural history, gardening and writers’ classics.

What was the very first piece you sold?

I would suspect that would be something to a family friend when I was a teenager. I do recall my mother telling me that, “June would love something with flowers,” and my obliging. Professional selling really started after I left college when an agent found my business card a year later. They’d landed a huge ‘Birds of the World’ collectible project and called me out of the blue.

Which piece are you most proud of?

I try hard with each painting or drawing; I am a perfectionist, though that doesn’t mean I think my work is perfect. Often the commissions are the hardest and most satisfying. Years ago I was approached by a sporting couple to create The Africa Big Five which was a challenge and a lot of fun. Each animal took over a week working full-time, and making them all work together within the constraints of an A1-sized drawing was really lovely.

Tell us about the process of creating a piece.

I always have an idea first, then refine it with scribble sketches. Then it’s a case of finding photos that flesh out the realism. I can’t remember the exact plumage from memory, so I use photos, but the photos don’t define the work. I often use multiple images – the head from one, the wings and body pose from another, then use my imagination to complete the scene.

Nature is clearly the driving inspiration for my art, but I’d like to think I am an artist first. While I may be inspired by the bird in the field, I don’t wish to only replicate in faithful restriction. I love painting and drawing woodcock. They’re a great challenge with that wonderful, complex plumage, but it’s the mystery of the birds I love – the unpredictable nature, the folklore. If in my paintings I can portray a little of that secret world where the viewer has an insight into what happens in the hours before the woodcock is flushed, then I think that gives limitless options.

Where can the public view your work?

I show in a few galleries but am quite unprolific compared to my other sporting artist friends. The majority of my output sells privately or are commissioned pieces. I complete just five oil paintings a year. The paintings take so long because I paint the botanical elements very faithfully. Drawings are simpler as they have no backgrounds, but they still take months if it’s a very large, elaborate piece.

Tell us something about yourself not many people know

I am a trustee of the World Pheasant Association, a conservation charity that tries to safeguard the rare galliformes of the world. I’ve been a trustee for about three years and a member for over a dozen years. I also keep ornamental pheasants. At the moment I have tragopans, which are very beautiful with their lovely deep red and orange colouring and give us an amazing display in spring.