About The Artist
About Andy J Hardwick
For me, wildlife art has never simply been about painting animals. It is about presence, resilience, survival, and the quiet strength found in the natural world.
Before becoming a professional wildlife artist, I served in the Royal Navy as a Mine Clearance Diver — a role built on discipline, focus, calmness under pressure, and respect for environments that demand absolute attention. Those experiences shaped the way I see the world and continue to influence my work today.
Following my military career, I spent more than fifteen years leading complex operational and infrastructure programmes across the UK and Europe, working at director level within the housing, maintenance, engineering, and EV infrastructure sectors.
Throughout those years, however, art remained a constant. Today, painting gives me the opportunity to bring together my fascination with wildlife, my appreciation of character and resilience, and a lifelong desire to create. My work focuses primarily on wildlife, particularly animals that embody strength, endurance, wisdom, and survival. I am drawn to older animals, weathered features, dramatic light, and quiet moments of expression — those instances where an animal's character reveals itself without noise or distraction.

Working mainly in acrylic and pastel pencil, I create contemporary wildlife art designed to be atmospheric, emotionally engaging, and visually striking. Light, shadow, texture, and depth play a central role in every composition, with the eyes of the subject often becoming the emotional focal point of the piece.
Rather than simply reproducing what I see, I aim to capture something of the character and presence of each animal — creating work that sits somewhere between realism and artistic interpretation.
Alongside my wildlife collections, I undertake a limited number of bespoke pet portrait commissions, creating highly personal pieces that celebrate the unique character of an animal and the connection between people and the pets they love.
At the heart of everything I create is one simple ambition:
To create artwork that people do not just look at — but feel.
Thank you for visiting, exploring my work, and supporting independent art.
Andy J Hardwick
Contemporary Wildlife Artist
