Violet Astor is a UK based conservation artist who produces large and detailed charcoal drawings combined with natural pigments foraged from the environment of her subjects.
Her special interest is travelling to the wild corners of the planet to collaborate with wildlife conservation projects. Her aim is to draw endangered species to raise awareness and funding to support their survival. Violet is a self-taught artist who discovered drawing during the years she was chronically ill with Lyme Disease, which in turn became an integral part of her healing.
A vital part of Violet’s artwork has been to integrate conservation efforts into everything surrounding her work. This includes only using natural and ethically sourced materials, making her own charcoal, collecting soil and rocks to make paint and drawing on paper recycled from coffee cups.
Importantly, Violet donates a percentage of proceeds from sales straight to conservation in order to protect the species that she draws. She also holds talks around her exhibitions to celebrate and promote the protection of the environment. This includes visiting local schools to talk to children between the ages of 8-12 years to help encourage interest in their natural heritage as well as inspiring the critical conservation of the environment.
