David Shepherd CBE

David was winner of the Art and Framing Industry Awards Best Selling Published Artist of the Year 1996 and has won numerous awards over his distinguished career, which now spans five decades. David has made guest appearances on many major television and radio shows including Parkinson, the Esther Show, This is Your Life and The Man who Loves Giants

David Shepherd - Sunday Best

In 2002 the Fine Art Committee approached the Guild to recommend that someone very special in our business be given an award for their outstanding contribution to both the industry and the world as a whole. Solomon & Whitehead’s mission statement: ‘Making Art Available for the Enjoyment of Everyone’, is epitomised by the contribution that David has made to the concept of ‘art for the people’. Thousands of people have been able to enjoy his work through over 200 limited edition prints and originals that are found hanging on walls as diverse as those in the RAF Club in Picadilly and Del Boy’s Flat in ‘Only Fools and Horses’. He inspires other artists and raises public awareness in Fine Art Prints, his popularity taking him to numerous television and radio appearances, applauding both his fine work and his tremendous dedication to wildlife conservation.

David Shepherd receiving his Lifetime Award from Master of the Guild Mike Braddock

In 1971, an Honorary Degree on Fine Arts was awarded to David by the Pratt Institute in New York. In 1973 he received the Order of the Golden Ark from Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for his unstinting support of wildlife conservation. David was honoured in the UK in 1979 with the Order of the British Empire and in the same year made a Member of Honour of the World Wide Fund for Nature. In 1986, he was elected a Fellow of the RSA and in 1988 President Kaunda of Zambia awarded him with the Order of Distinguished Service. A year later he was made Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science of the University of Hertfordshire. In 1996, the same year as our industry voted David the Best Selling Published Artist of the Year, he was made a Brother of the Order of St John. In December 2004 he was granted the Freedom of the City of London and was honoured in 2008 with Commander of the British Empire.

The Guild recognises in David Shepherd a giant amongst men, an icon and the mentor of wildlife artists the world over. We recognise that he turned failure to get a job as a gamekeeper and failure to get into art school into success, through hard work and recognition of how to paint pictures people actually want to live with.

David has worked tirelessly for the causes he has espoused, through his David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation which he founded in 1984, more...

David Shepherd - Polar Bear Country

Because he and his publishers are scrupulous about adhering to Guild standards and policies relating to Limited Edition prints, these can change hands at four or five times their original price, something that stimulates members of the public to begin collecting Limited Edition prints.

Thank you David. You actively support the trade association and all it stands for, giving us the benefit of active criticism when you feel the need to, feeding into debates on policy, setting the standard. Thank-you from all of us, for your outstanding contribution and example to us all. Rosie Sumner, Guild MD

Related Category

Hall of Fame
Content relating to the Guild's Hall of Fame

Guild Member/Trade Login

The home of Art and Framing since 1910

David Shepherd CBE

Related Pages

Related Category