• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

John Busby, Artist

Landscape and wildlife artist, illustrator and author

  • Home
  • About the Artist
    • Biography
    • Early Work
    • Exhibitions
  • Gallery
    • New Additions
    • Artist support pledge
    • Book illustrations
      • Lines from Nature originals
        • Lines from Nature – chapters 1,2
        • Lines from Nature – At a distance
        • Lines from Nature – Sea cliffs, shorelines and Rockpools
        • Lines from Nature – India, Australia, the Alps
        • Lines from Nature – Eagles, hawks and falcons
        • Lines from Nature – Vultures and Owls
        • Lines from Nature – Mammals
        • Lines from Nature – Grebes and cranes
      • Land Marks and Sea Wings illustrations
      • A Naturalist’s Shetland
      • Miscellaneous Book Illustrations
    • Landscapes
      • Plants, trees and insects
      • Mountain and field landscapes
      • Seascapes and Estuaries
      • Rock Pools
    • Birds
      • Birds in General
      • Birds of Prey
      • Cranes
      • Garden Birds
      • Seabirds
    • Animals & Other Wildlife
      • UK and European mammals
      • Non-European mammals
      • Tigers
      • Reptiles etc.
    • Places
      • Falkland Islands
      • Galapagos
      • Aldabra
      • India
      • New Forest
    • Other Artworks
    • Recently SOLD
  • Books
    • Art Prints
    • Books and reviews
    • Cards
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact

New Forest

In 1999 a group of 30 artists from the Society of Wildlife Artists (SWLA) were invited to the New Forest in Hampshire, UK, by the Forestry Commission, with the aim of capturing and recording the essence of the forest for all to enjoy. Working in four groups over 12 months (John was there in February 2000) their work is recorded in the book Drawn to the Forest by Robert Burton, published by The Wildlife Art Gallery, Lavenham.

In the book John wrote, “Since I first saw Paul Nash’s ‘Monster Field’ paintings as a student, I have been aware of the ‘presences’ of trees – even long dead ones. In the old parts of the New Forest, giant beeches are left as they fall or as lightning strikes them. They are stark in winter, dead but still animated like powerful sculptures – sphinx-like guardians of the pathways, asking riddles”

In John’s obituary in The Scotsman, John’s friend and fellow artist Darren Woodhead wrote, “I recall struggling to make sense of a New Forest landscape while on a Society of Wildlife Artists’ project, while John drew remarkable tree animals – not living animals sitting in trees – but the animals the gnarled ancient branch shapes created, a conger eel, a strange seahorse-type creature. That’s what John did; he saw where others could not.”

Fungi in Old Tree 2000
Fungi in Old Tree 2000
signed pencil drawing 32 x 25 cm £350
Fungi on Birch Logs 2000
Fungi on Birch Logs 2000
signed watercolour 24 x 32 cm £350
Guardian of Bolderwood, 2000
Guardian of Bolderwood, 2000
signed pencil drawing 32 x 24 cm Illustration from Drawn to the Forest £350
In a Winter Field, New Forest
signed watercolour 23 x 28 cm £450 'fieldfares, Hawfinches, Blackbirds and Meadow Pipit in a winter field, New Forest February 2000'
New Forest Deer alert in open moorland by John Busby
New Forest Deer 2000
signed watercolour 25 x 35 cm £450
New Forest Ponies grazing on open moorland by John Busby
New Forest Ponies 2000
signed pastel drawing 35 x 25 cm £450
view of tree trunks and leaf-strewn forest floor in winter by John Busby
Winter Trees, Bolderwood, 2000
signed watercolour 35 x 25 cm illustration in Drawn to the Forest p4 £450
gnarled fallen tree trunk in New Forest looking like a mystical animal by John Busby
Woodland Creature 2000
signed pencil drawing with pastel 32 x 25cm Illustration from Drawn to the Forest p51 £350

© 2021 John Busby Artist

  • Website Terms of Use
  • Terms and Conditions of Sale
  • Privacy Policy
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies as outlined in our Cookie Policy