Chris Hoy - Wildlife Artist First hand
experiences with animals in the wild is essential to his work. Thus a passion
for travel has become a part of Chris' career. As an artist his journeys have
taken Chris around the world, to all seven continents, in search of
inspirational wildlife scenes.. Tropical birds and mammals of the deep rain
forest were a bonus on a recent trip to New Guinea. In one of the globe's last
primitive places, Chris was able to observe over 200 tribes which gathered for
the Sing Sing- an event which happens on a major scale only every four years.
The luckiest people on earth are
those who can make a living by doing the things they love. Such a person is
Chris Hoy; wildlife artist Chris has overcome great odds to continue his passion
for wildlife painting. The night before Halloween, 1995; he had a near death
experience in which he almost lost his hand. Quick work by doctors saved his
Life and his hand, but they told him that he would probably never be able
to paint again. I The night before Halloween, 1995t he was
standing on a chair to hang a piece of art when he slipped and fell
crashing through a glass table, severing his wrist to the bone. He lost: half
of h is blood in 20 minutes and almost died. "Chris was so
happy to be alive that he barely paid attention when the doctors said that he
would probably never paint again. Chris persevered through six months of
intense therapy and amazed his doctors by not only recovering his ability
to paint, but by improving upon it Today his paintings demonstrate even more
appreciation of the natural world influenced by personal experience and the
opportunity for a second chance. .
 A
California native, Chris was struck by the magnificence of his environment at an
early age and i1 became the first inspiration for his work. Chris paints things
that interest him and understands that it Is the little touches that make a
subject special. Chris' works are noted for giving the viewer the distinct
perspective of being with wildlife in their natural surroundings. Chris loves
animals and that love is translated into an accurate and passionate portrayal
of each unique individual. be it a tiger, elephant or be1oved family
pet. (be it mammal, bird or reptile.) He seizes the moment on the canvas with
all its nuances, including the unique personality and expression of each anima].
Chris lives the moments that he captures in his paintings. His enthusiasm and
joy for living fm every inch or each [every] canvas. Technical marvels that they
are, each painting has a spirit that transports the viewer [you] to the place
and time that the Image was drawn.
Chris believes that in order to accurately
portray wildlife he needs to observe the animals up close. as well as in their
natural habitats. He has developed a working relationship with many zoos across
the nation and is a frequent visitor. Chris is allowed to work one on one with
the animals and their trainers. This relationship has provided him with
someaW8some experiences such as holding young tigers and lions and spending
afternoons playing with and bathing African elephants. These up.-close
experiences have given Chris insights into the temperaments and moods of
a variety of animals.
Chris has visited Kenya and Tanzania
[Africa] a number of times. Here he focuses on the plains of the.
Serengeti / Masai Mara to search for and observed the "Big Five"- elephants.
rhinos, lions, leopards and Gape buffalo. Chris even made ao attempt to cJimb
the 19,340 foot tall} Mount Kilimanjaro. The night sounds haunt the plains and
camping in the bush brings the artist even closer to h1s subjects.
Chris' visits to Asia were a special blend
of experiences. People watching and sightseeing in the cities were
mixed with elephant fides through the hardwood forests for sightings of
leopards; 11g8f$, birds and rhinos. "u is the first time J ever saw a spider the
size of my hand" notes the artist. Asia also brought the artist in
touch with the Himalayas where he climbed to the first base camp at Mount
Everest, a height of over 22,000 feet. The overwhelming views of the
high mountains were something Chris will always remember.
The Galapagos Islands of Ecuador and
the Amazon Basin of Brazil provided insights into some very diverse and
special! animals. Seals, penguins, albatross, red and blue fooled boobies were
the inhabitants of the 14 distinctive Galapagos Islands. When not on
shore or swimming, days were spent bobbing in a small boat with memorably cold
salt water showers! In the Amazon Basin, where more than 1,800 bird species make
their home, Chris took in all the sights, sounds and natural wonders of the
jungle. He visited isolated villages, sighted pink dolphins, monkeys and piranha
by day and (caimans (large alligators), sloths and other amazing animals a1
night
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