John Banovich is not your typical wildlife artist. With a mixture of past lives as varied as the oil paints on his palette, John has paved a unique path that has led him to the top tier of the art world, and to the forefront of global conservation initiatives. Born out of a lifetime spent in wild places — both as a hunter and a nature observer — his oil paintings depict raw and timeless beauty from the natural world in detail and a scale that is unmatched.
These works of art, sought after by collectors globally, have allowed John to spend a career in close observation of “big things with big teeth,” as well as raise awareness and funds to support over a dozen crucial conservations projects on three continents. He has been a friend and mentor of mine for nearly 15 years, and it’s a proud, full-circle moment to feature his work in Modern Huntsman, as well as have him paint an original for us, which you see on the cover. After a recent visit to John’s Seattle studio, I had the privilege of joining him in Kenya and Tanzania to document his process in the field, and discuss his views on conservation challenges that lay ahead — among other things. What follows in an excerpt of that conversation, and the rest will follow soon in the short documentary we produced in partnership with Safari Club International. For now, may his words and work inspire you to see some of these wild places for yourself while you still can.
TYLER SHARP — To start off with, tell us a little bit about your background of fine arts and the path that led you to be a full-time artist.
JOHN BANOVICH — At age seven, I found my muse:
