Alison Clark  Africa's animals and wild places have held a fascination for Alison since childhood, especially the big cats - the grace and speed of the cheetah, the charisma of lions and the stealth and beauty of leopards.  After her first amazing trip to East Africa, she decided to specialize in painting African wildlife exclusively and prefers to use references she obtains herself from observing them in the wild.  On subsequent visits to Africa she has done volunteer work with wild animals and had some amazing experiences. Passion for these animals has grown more with each trip as her understanding of them deepens.  "I feel this immersion in their environment is essential to bring authenticity to the images I paint, to get the right feeling on canvas that reflects the experience of being there with them and elicit an emotional response from viewers," she says. She studied pastel with Regina Hona and oil with Stephen Powell and has won awards for her animal paintings. Her work has been featured in Australian Artist and Sabona  magazines and the US collectors' magazine, Wildlife Art.  Alison exhibits regularly in Australia. Memberships: Australian Guild of Realist Artists,  Pastel Society of Victoria,  Wildlife Art Society of Australasia  & Untamed Artists Network.