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One of the most solid and highly lucrative investments one can make these days, is to buy a piece of art by a well known successful artist.
One must be warned away from the apparent attractiveness of ‘new’ artists , as they are usually little more than a ‘flash in the pan’ and their works will acheive no return in years to come.

An artist who has been working and had major success for over fifty years is David Shepherd, who now stands alone amongst the world of wildlife artists. The themes for his paintings range from animals, landscapes, locomotives, portraits, to aviation and military subjects. But it’s his lush, realistic paintings of African endangered species that have captivated many for over 40 decades. His most famous works of art are “Tiger in the Sun”, “Tiger Fire” and “Elephant Heaven”. These vivid oil paintings depicting the animals in the full majesty of their natural habitat have truly enthralled art critics the world-over.

Many of his paintings have been published as signed, limited edition prints. While these prints are usually photo lithographs, there are also other mediums for reproduction using silkscreen and giclee printing.

David Shepherd had originally aspired to become a game warden in Kenya but was rejected. He then returned to the UK and worked as a hotel receptionist for a time. Despite his pressing financial situation, his father insisted that Shepherd polish his skills in painting and should receive formal training. However, his application for the Slade School of Fine Art in London was refused. David eventually found a mentor in Robin Goodwin, a professional artist who trained him for the next three years.

The air force commissioned David to paint a series of pictures and flew him to various locations in the middle east and Africa. He started to garner attention with his very first wildlife painting of a rhino that was commissioned by the Royal Air Force. From there, it appeared he had found his niche with his highly-detailed animal paintings.

David Shepherd’s work has been recognized the world over and he has received many honours for the work he has done. He has received many awards throughout the years. His most recent being an O.B.E. and an M.B.E. from the queen. He has founded the Shepherd Wildlife Conservation Foundation with the goal to help conserve wild and endangered animals.

In the world of arts, Shepherd is a celebrity whose exhibits are held in Europe, Africa and the United States and receive both commercial and critical acclaim. A signed, limited edition print can range from 100 pounds to over 4,000 pounds and his original paintings sell for many thousands. Regardless of price, there is a continued demand for his signed print reproductions. His paintings have become valuable additions to many private collections throughout the world today.

Buying paintings for the purpose of investment, can be a ‘minefield’. It is believed in some circles that art as an investment is far superior to any conventional means of investing. High quality art has the longevity and endurance to weather economic slowdowns the way most non-commodities can’t. As a wildlife artist he has achieved a life time’s ambition and over fifty plus years of work, critical acclaim that is second to none – with many signed, editions and collectibles for the serious art investors.

Over time, Shepherd’s efforts and talent have paid off and he is now an icon in the field of visual arts. His paintings are truly an investment, for their value can be measured not only by his success but for the sheer classical beauty of his masterpieces.