My involvement with the David Shepherd Wildlife Trust (DSWF) goes back many years. I began by donating some of my animal sculptures to their charity auctions. The first time I entered my work for the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year competition was back in 2009, the third year of the competition.

The competition exhibition has always been one of the highlights of my year. It’s an exciting event to be part of, while also raising much needed funds for wildlife conservation.

My wild dog, warthog and rhino sculptures have been regular entries to the show, in no small part because they are some of my favourite animal sculpture subjects. These animals lead interesting lives. They provide me with endless inspiration, and I am never short of stories to tell through my sculpture.

One year I focussed on the story of Thandi, the rhino who survived a brutal poaching attack but still went on to give birth to a healthy calf. Her story was the inspiration behind Thandi’s Girl, a sculpture of a lying down white rhino calf. Thandi is now a grandmother with numerous calves to her name.

Most of my sculptures are based on observations made in the wild. Watching the real-life stories of their lives unfold both fascinates and inspires me. My warthog sculpture Bad Hair Day was based on a rather cross looking male warthog I encountered staring across at me in the bush! This was my first category win in the competition.

When David Shepherd presented me with my award, he leaned in to tell me he had bought it. David was not only a wonderful artist, but a true wildlife conservation hero. His personal endorsement meant more to me than the award itself. He confided in me that my warthog had been named Tina, after Tina Turner. ‘It’s the hair,’ he explained!

My animal sculpture Huddle of Pups would later be selected for the overall runner-up in the competition. This work depicted nine wild dog pups, mostly sleeping with their little paws exposed, and was intended to show the vulnerability of the young dogs.

In the wild, however, there is always strength in numbers. And it’s the same with sculpture. Presenting the pups as a group conveys this dynamic and creates a compelling presence in the room. I was therefore delighted to learn that the whole group had been bought by one of the sponsors of the competition, allowing all the pups to stay together.

In 2015 I was was awarded the title of Wildlife Artist of the Year for Sleepyheads, a group of baby warthogs, inspired by a fleeting sighting of a small family of warthogs asleep in the bush. It’s a rare privilege to witness such a moment of quiet, as warthogs are such naturally skittish creatures.

It was a truly humbling experience to receive this award surrounded by so many phenomenal artworks by incredible artists from all around the world. Winning the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year competition remains one of the highlights of my career.

I’ve been making animal sculptures for over thirty years now. I never tire of seeing how people react to the animals I sculpt and the stories they have to tell. It’s equally gratifying to reflect on the amazing fact that the DSWF exhibition, now in its 15th year, has raised over £2 million for wildlife conservation.

This year my sculpture of a Red River Hog, Seeing Red, is featured and available to purchase online in the 2024 exhibition, which is open until Sunday 7 July here on the DSWF website.