Overview
The great theme of British-born artist Sophie Walbeoffe's art is wild animals in their natural habitat. She spent three formative years painting in Amboseli National Park, guided by Dr Cynthia Moss, the distinguished scholar of elephant behaviour. It was in this landscape, against the towering backdrop of ice-capped Kilimanjaro, that Walbeoffe developed her enduring fascination with birdlife - observing, sketching and painting it. Pelicans, flamingos, ibis, waders, scarlet-breasted bee-eaters, and golden weaver birds have all inspired her art through their distinctive forms, their varied beauty, and their unbounded sense of freedom.
A keen traveller, she first visited Kenya in her twenties, in 1988, with Operation Raleigh, Prince Charles' adventure project for young people. She never returned to live in England. Her time since then has been spent in both East Africa and the Middle East. (She lived for two years in Jerusalem, and returns there often.) Both locations have proved to be rich painting grounds. (Walbeoffe had trained in England, first at Wimbledon School of Art, and then - under Cecil Collins - at the Central School of Art, London.)
When I work en plein air, I paint what I see very fast, usually with both hands. When in the studio, I paint what I feel and remember, more slowly. It is astonishing what you can remember about an African landscape, when you have looked at it at length. You remember the smell of Africa, the colour of the bush, the light on the animals, the dust of their movement, the changing colours of dawn and dusk. These recollections bring my paintings to life.
 
Walbeoffe's work has been exhibited in London, Kenya and Dubai and is held in numerous important collections, including Paul Allen’s Vulcan Foundation in Seattle, The Qatari Royal Family Collection and the East African Visual Arts Trust Collection.
Works
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Giraffe in Africa Eden, 2024
    Giraffe in Africa Eden, 2024
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Wild Symphony Leopard Flora, 2024
    Wild Symphony Leopard Flora, 2024
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Ringing Bells in the Forest with Hartlaub's Turaco, 2024
    Ringing Bells in the Forest with Hartlaub's Turaco, 2024
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Torocco's and Moonflowers in Nairobi Garden, 2024
    Torocco's and Moonflowers in Nairobi Garden, 2024
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Sophie Painting
    Sophie Painting
  • Sophie Walbeoffe colourful oil painting of tiger in stream with beautiful flowers and leaves
    Now I’m Going To Close My Eyes and Count To Ten, 2023
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Artist Studio
    Artist Studio
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Owls and bats in a tree at night
    An Owl of Fine Artistic Feelings, 2022
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Sophie in the Studio
    Sophie in the Studio
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Just So, Thou art of the jungle and I am only a black panther but I love thee little brother, 2021
    Just So, Thou art of the jungle and I am only a black panther but I love thee little brother, 2021
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, INTERIOR SHOT, Just So
    INTERIOR SHOT, Just So
  • British artist Sophie Walbeoffe painting of a leopard in a colourful jungle, oil on canvas of 'What is this,' said the Leopard, 'that is so 'sclusively dark, and yet so full of little pieces of light?'
    'What is this,' said the Leopard, 'that is so 'sclusively dark, and yet so full of little pieces of light?', 2023
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Giraffes and birds surrounding a tree
    Breakfast at the Thorntree, 2022
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Sophie Painting
    Sophie Painting
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Moon Flowers Ibis and the White Browed Robin Chats, 2022
    Moon Flowers Ibis and the White Browed Robin Chats, 2022
  • Sophie Walbeoffe
  • Sophie Walbeoffe painting of Tiger in jungle
    Tiger Tiger, 2023
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, In the Desert
    In the Desert
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Giraffes Running, 2023
    Giraffes Running, 2023
  • Sophie Walbeoffe painting of crocodile swimming
    Then the Elephant's Child Put His Head Down Close to the Crocodile's Musky, Tusky Mouth, 2023
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Giraffes, 2024
    Giraffes, 2024
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, ‘Thou art of the jungle and not of the jungle. And I am only a black panther. But I love thee little brother.’, 2023
    ‘Thou art of the jungle and not of the jungle. And I am only a black panther. But I love thee little brother.’, 2023
  • Sophie Walbeoffe, Studio Shot, 2022
    Studio Shot, 2022
  • Painting of jungle with leopard by Sophie Walbeoffe available at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery.
    Spickly Sparkly Shadowy Jungle, 2021
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