Brett Jarrett

Brett Jarrett is Australia’s most widely travelled and experienced animal painter. Searching for subjects world-wide, he has undertaken many field trips to Antarctica, throughout Australasia; from Northern Lapland to Canada’s Hudson Bay; the Americas and twice to the geographic North Pole. The longest expedition being twenty months covering the entire eastern tropical Pacific from Midway Atoll to Peru’s Humboldt Current while working as a field biologist collecting behavioural and abundance data on whales, dolphins and seabirds.

His first Antarctic experience was in 1996 over a four-month period working in the field tagging Weddell Seals, having now spent a total of three years living on and around the Continent. Few artists have accumulated such a wealth of experience; knowledge and resources on wildlife that has lead to expeditions from 90 degrees latitude at the geographic North Pole, to the Bay of Whales located at 78˚36' South in Antarctica's Ross Sea.

Throughout the year Brett produces no more than twenty oil paintings, from small life-size portraits to large complex pieces that can take months to complete. Maintaining a high standard and focus on advancing the quality of his paintings and ultimately their value, is what drives his career. while commonly, a larger volume of work often means fast, repetitive and the easily produced that doesn't progress one's standards, ideas, design or skill. Rather than a technique of contrived and unsympathetic artwork, his awareness and focus remain on creating enduring paintings that say a lot about the artist's experience and the subject simultaneously.

He is a signature member of the prestigious Society of Animal Artists in the U.S.A. where his work has been represented four times with those works touring the country in acclaimed natural history museums and institutions.

Brett's background in marine mammals and birds identification has also been rewarded in recent years with his work being sort after by authors wanting sound anatomical knowledge and field experience with the wildlife to be represented. Among numerous identification charts, posters and scientific papers that have used his paintings, some of his more notable publications have been:

A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife

Whales, Dolphins and Seals: A Field Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World

Marine Mammals of the World: A Comprehensive Guide To Their Identification

The Marine Mammals identification charts for New Caledonia, Singapore, Great Britain, Brazil, Papua New Guinea and Australian Geographic

'Inspiration Wild': An Artistic Celebration of Nature and Environment

Wildlife Art Museum of Australia: Australian Wildlife Arts Foundation publication

The Contemporary Art of Nature

Feather and Brush: Three Centuries of Australian Bird Art

Avifauna of the eastern tropical Pacific

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, volumes 2 and 3

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.