Gary was born in 1954, he had a deep love for nature since childhood. In 1979 he started applying his keen sense of observation to his drawings and is now one of Britain's leading wildlife pencil artist. Hodges gave up his day job around 1989 to concentrate on his drawings and, shortly afterwards, began to publish his limited edition prints himself. By retaining control of every stage, from drawing, to publishing, to selling, Gary has never had to compromise on the very high standards he has set himself. Through his drawings he has already raised his first quarter of a million pounds for charity and is well on his way towards the second qu.arter million - a phenomenal achievement for one individual in such a short time.
THE DRAWINGS

Gary Hodges drawings stand out from the crowd due to his combinations of remarkable technical ability with a deep feeling and understanding for the subject. Hodges sense of design and composition, often focussing on only a part of the animal, always results in a striking image that demands the viewer's attention and thought. Others have tried to achieve the same effect in pencil, but the result often looks ordinary by comparison.
Gary may use many different grades of pencil in a art drawing. Each grade is painstakingly used to builds up tones and textures, working on small areas at a time. The range of textures he creates - tough hide, fluffy fur, preened feathers, dry scales - is extraordinary. Often there is a touch of humour - the big paw or menacing tooth - but in the end it is the eye that fixes itself upon the viewer. It is here that he begins each drawing.

His original drawings now regularly appear in Christie's Wildlife Art auctions - "Supreme" sold for £16,215 in 1998 and "Mother's Love" for £10,575 (double the original estimate) in May 2000.

Gary Hodges