Kelowna wildlife artist inspired by conservation work in Africa

Kelowna artist Daniel Taylor is known for his vivid paintings of wildlife and important conservation work in Africa.

Taylor discovered a love for painting at a young age and soon developed his passion into a career. His realist paintings usually depict landscapes or animals and his passion for these subjects led him down a path of conservation across seas.

“I've always been interested in conservation, I've always been interested in wildlife,” Taylor told iNFOnews.ca.

In 2008, Taylor travelled to Cameroon to find and photograph endangered mountain gorillas for his paintings. Taylor taught classes and used artwork to educate local children about wildlife conservation.

“Through the arts, we were able to create three educational books for the children across the continent of Africa,” he said. “So, that's been wonderful.”

The proceeds from Taylor's gorilla painting all went to the African Conservation Foundation of which Taylor is an honorary member and continues to work closely alongside to this day to raise awareness and funds for wildlife conservation.

“It's done a lot of good for a lot of people around the world, and it's been wonderful. I mean, there's no monetary gain in this. It's all from the heart.”

Taylor has lived in Kelowna for the past five years and now spends his time creating content on YouTube and creating commissioned artworks for clients. 

"It's all about having the enjoyment of doing it, and again, coming from the heart," Taylor said. "It's always felt that way, it's a heartfelt, creative process right from the get-go."

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