David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation | WAY Week 2025

Don't miss our exciting calendar of workshops and talks taking place during WAY Week throughout the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation | Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 Exhibition!

Each event provides an exciting opportunity to engage with the work of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) to protect endangered species. Connect with the natural world through art and support conservation efforts across Africa and Asia.

Tuesday 9 September, 11am to 3pm

Free, no booking required

In a bold new collaboration with acclaimed British figurative artist Pie Herring, the DSWF will be taking art beyond the walls of Mall Galleries and out onto the streets of London!

Pie is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art and has earned a reputation for connecting people, stories and places through her artwork, winning the prestigious Carnegie Scholarship for her degree show at the Royal Scottish Academy’s New Contemporaries exhibition. Her practice is grounded in collaboration with communities, mirroring the grassroots conservation funded by the DSWF – making her the natural collaborator for this year’s expansive WAY celebrations.

Live outside Mall Galleries from 11am on Tuesday 9 September, Pie will create a striking, one-of-a-kind mural which, once completed, will be available to view (and purchase!) as part of the WAY 2025 exhibition.

Tuesday 9 - Saturday 13 September, from 12pm

Free, no booking required

Visit the North Gallery to view and take part in The Collaborative Canvas: London’s largest-ever evolving wildlife artwork, inviting visitors to pick up a brush and make their mark. Children, parents, amateur painters, total beginners and even WAY alumni will contribute to a single vast piece, growing live throughout the week. 

Emily Lamb, Art Ambassador and granddaughter of DSWF Founder, David Shepherd, CBE, will be making the first impressions on The Collaborative Canvas, alongside her daughter, Freya. The family duo will be joined by 2023 ‘Art of Survival’ winner and long-term WAY alumni, Martin Aveling, and his daughter, Marella, who will be starting from the other end of the canvas!

Don’t miss your chance to get involved throughout the exhibition (artist materials provided). Simply visit the exhibition between 9 - 13 September, to participate. 

Tuesday 9 - Saturday 13 September, 10am to 5pm (Tuesday 9, 11am to 3pm) 

Free, donations welcome in support of DSWF's conservation work

Discover Paper Safari, an extraordinary showcase of hand-cut wildlife portraits by 2024’s Wildlife Artist of the Year, Sarah Lake, as part of the 2025 WAY exhibition. 

The exhibition showcases a bold series of large-scale wildlife portraits that combine extraordinary precision with deep admiration for the natural world. Each piece is crafted entirely by hand from layers of textured paper, magnifying the complexity and character of its animal subject. 

Paper Safari is both a celebration of craftsmanship and a tribute to the beauty of our planet’s wildlife. A self-taught artist from Kent, Sarah began paper cutting over a decade ago and has developed a distinctive style that captures the depth and spirit of wildlife. Working from her own photographs, she transforms layered paper into intricate, textured portraits. 

You can find Paper Safari in the East Gallery. There’s no need to book, just show up and enjoy all the artwork we have on display as part of this year’s Wildlife Artist of the Year.

Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 September, 1pm to 2:30pm

£30, book now

Mandy Maria is a Glasgow-based artist inspired by the wild landscapes of her Aberdeenshire upbringing. Mandy uses soft pastels to explore colour, texture, and energy to capture the shifting moods of nature, and her process often begins in the landscape itself. On her wanderings she sketches, gathers minerals, and creates pigments that root each of her unique pieces in place.

Colour plays a central role in Mandy’s work, so you can expect this workshop to be bold, energetic, and emotive. Participants will be able to learn during the workshop using Derwent soft pastels and receive a Derwent Pastel Pencil Blister set to take home.  

Wednesday 10 September, 3pm, to 4:30pm

£30, book now

Tom Middleton is an award-winning artist who originally picked up his graphite to supplement his music career. However, it wasn’t long before the plight of the world’s wildlife turned his art into activism, and he became a committed conservationist too.  You’ll learn how to use graphite to create dynamic pieces with depth, capturing raw emotions in monotone shades.

With his artwork championed by Jason Momoa, David Attenborough, Louise Redknapp, Myles Kennedy, and Clare Balding, this workshop gives you the opportunity to learn from a master of his craft. Each participant will receive a set of Derwent Graphite Pencils to work with and take home too. 

Wednesday 10 September, 6pm to 8pm

Private Event, Invite Only (general viewing throughout the week during exhibition opening hours)

Wildlife and military artist Mandy Shepherd studied at Byam Shaw in London before completing a BA Hons in Fine Art and Illustration at Brighton. She lived in southern Africa, developing her style and holding her first solo show in Zimbabwe. 

We’re proud to be showcasing Mandy’s brand-new collection for this year’s exhibition, Africa and Beyond. All sales are in support of DSWF’s vital, species-saving work. Mandy’s new collection will be celebrating her legacy as both a wildlife and military artist. 

The private view on the evening of Wednesday 10 is invite only, but Mandy’s work will be on display throughout WAY Week, alongside the rest of the exhibition. 

Thursday 11 September, 10:30am to 12pm

£30, book now

Harriet de Winton is an artist, watercolour teacher, and a creator of hand-painted wedding stationary. As well as being the bestselling author of four books exploring watercolour methods and painting, she also owns De Winton Paper Company, the hub that brings all her creativity under one roof. 

Harriet has created a dynamic range of teaching platforms and resources to help you bring your own watercolours to life. However, each session is limited to just ten places each – so make sure you secure yours whilst you can. Within each 90-minute session, you’ll learn clever techniques and practical methodologies designed to add extra wonder to your own watercolours. Participants will also receive a set of Derwent Watercolour Paint Pan set to work with and take home.  

Friday 12 September, 3pm to 4:30pm

£30, book now

Rebecca Prout is a painter, pastel, and charcoal artist with a focus on mark-making and colour fields. Her work primarily celebrates flowers, foliage, and abstraction. Rebecca especially likes to play with patterns that accentuate the emphatic flatness of the 2D picture plane, whilst simultaneously exploring the depth of undulating layers of foliage.  

The raw tactility of pastel is celebrated by much of Rebecca’s work and is often found at its core. She champions the act of making and invites viewers of her pieces to contemplate their agency and inherent oneness with the natural world. 

Rebecca is also no stranger to Mall Galleries, having exhibited with us earlier this year as part of the 126th Annual Pastel Society Exhibition. We’re delighted to welcome her back to host to this exclusive workshop with the DSWF. Participants can expect expert tips on bringing natural flair and colour to their work, as well as guidance from a professional artist on how to capture foliage in pastels. Participants will be able to learn during the workshop using Derwent soft pastels and receive a Derwent Pastel Pencil Blister set to take home.