Jean Abrie
Jean Abrie lives in South Africa, where he draws his inspiration from nature, animals and people on the ever changing continent of Africa. He spends much of his time exploring the wilderness areas of Southern Africa he has known since early childhood. It is here where his love for nature later developed into a career in wildlife art. He later graduated from the University of Pretoria.He relies on first hand observations and experiences on trips throughout Southern Africa, which is vital in the creation of realistic works of art. He hopes to help create awareness of the importance of conservation efforts in Africa with his work, by portraying the many exciting and unexpected moods and changes on the continent. Realism is his preferred style and he has developed a sophisticated technical ability by paying great attention to detail. His love for the open spaces, the people, animals and the huge variety of bird life on the African continent, is evident in his work. The intimate knowledge needed, is gained through extensive travel, research and study of the subjects he loves to paint. He believes one can never know enough about any subject you choose to paint.He also paints the modern female figure in a contemporary style with some influences of the classic background and painting style of past masters. They show soft romantic figures in modern and classic surroundings that represents beautiful moments even in our rushed modern daily life. He captures these fleeting moments and situations on canvas in detail, with broader brushwork compared to the more detailed work shown in his wildlife paintings. Women reading, writing and sometimes just day dreaming or in deep thought -and in the process slowing down life a little- is often the subject of his figurative work.His work is collected by private collectors as well as companies in the US, UK and Europe and South Africa. He also participated with great success in some of the largest wildlife art shows in the US and his work has been exhibited in private shows, galleries and exhibitions in New York, London, Charleston, Ft. Lauderdale, Naples and Orlando