Inspired By The Wild Award-Winning Artist Daryl Dickson Paints for Conservation

Award-winning wildlife artist Daryl Dickson uses her intricate paintings to celebrate Australia's unique wildlife and inspire conservation. Photo supplied

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Award-winning artist, author and conservationist Daryl Dickson has spent more than two decades combining her passion for art with a lifelong commitment to protecting Australia's unique wildlife. Currently living with her husband at Mungarru Lodge Sanctuary in Far North Queensland, she’s surrounded by the ancient rainforest and remarkable native species that have become the heart of both her life and her work.

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“It’s the tropical landscapes, the magnificent forests and the amazing wildlife that has shaped my art and our lives,” Ms Dickson said.

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Sharing her home on the traditional lands of the Girramay People with some of Australia's rarest and most threatened species, including the endangered mahogany glider, has profoundly influenced Ms Dickson’s artistic journey, and years spent rescuing and rehabilitating native wildlife have also given her an extraordinary opportunity to study many elusive animals up close, allowing her to capture them with remarkable precision.

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“I really do live and breathe wildlife – it occupies so much of my life, it’s an inspiration for my art, it’s what fills my quiet hours, and what brings me joy – it really has been such an exceptional privilege to live in this landscape and share it with such stunning creatures,” she enthused.

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“The opportunity to observe these rare and beautiful creatures informs every detail of my work – it’s such a rare privilege and for an artist who paints in fine detail it has been wonderful. I had never dreamed that I could be so lucky.”

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Ms Dickson's original works are held in private collections across Australia, Europe and the United States. An accomplished author and illustrator, she has published the acclaimed coffee table book Celebrating Australia's Magnificent Wildlife – The Art of Daryl Dickson and illustrated several children's books celebrating native fauna. For her, art is not only a creative pursuit but also a powerful tool for conservation.

“Art is a brilliant way to engage not only people who love wildlife, but also people who just enjoy art – it’s an opportunity to share information about endangered species and their conservation in a gentle way,” said Ms Dickson.

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“I hope it inspires adults and children to love and value wildlife and wild places and also brings focus to little known species like our mahogany glider.  

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“There’s a quote I read sometime ago that says ‘what we don’t know we can’t love, and what we don’t love we won’t protect’ – this is the case for our little known gliders and many other species.”

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Ms Dickson’s contribution to both art and conservation has earned widespread recognition, including the prestigious Wet Tropics Cassowary Award for Art, the William T. Cooper Conservation Award, Cassowary Coast Citizen of the Year, and numerousfirst-place honours at art exhibitions throughout Queensland.

Beyond the easel, Ms Dickson remains deeply committed to protecting the region she calls home. She is President of the Wildlife Queensland Cassowary Coast–Hinchinbrook branch and a long-time member of the Mahogany Glider Recovery Team, using both her conservation work and her artwork to encourage a greater appreciation of Australia's unique wildlife.

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“My husband and I share this wonderful life, wildlife and our arts business on the Cassowary Coast. Life is busy and rich, and we owe a debt to this place for all it has gifted to our lives and work in the last three decades,” she said.

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“Sharing our love of this place, in any way we can, is the aim of all we do here. It is too precious to lose.”

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