London Art | 1 – 10 October 2026
A stoat that leapt through an artist’s paint palette, a cassowary that sat for its portrait and fish sketched upside down underwater: these are just some of the stories behind The Natural Eye 2026, the Society of Wildlife Artists’ annual exhibition. It opens at Mall Galleries this Thursday, 1 October.
Here are five reasons to go.
1. Over 360 original works
The show brings together the best figurative wildlife art, including painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking. Fieldwork and sketchbooks also reveal how the artists work outdoors.
2. Art made alongside wild animals
Many of the works start in the field. Darren Woodhead was painting sea eagles on Islay when a stoat chasing a rabbit jumped into his yellow ochre paint and bounded across his painting, leaving a trail of paw prints. Jane Smith sketched a pair of rare adders that settled by a wall five minutes from her home in Argyll, and her screenprint of them is in the show.
3. From Zambia to a Rickmansworth garden
Nick Mackman’s sculptures of baby warthogs, with horsehair manes and metal tails, were inspired by a sleeping warthog family at sunrise in Zambia. Closer to home, John Dobbs spent a month drawing a vixen and her five cubs after they made a den in his back garden in Rickmansworth.
4. Take a piece home
Most works are for sale, both in person and online, giving collectors a chance to buy original pieces by established and emerging wildlife artists. The work stays online for three months after the show closes.
5. A special year for the society
This is Harriet Mead’s final exhibition as President after 16 years. The SWLA is a registered charity that has awarded over 100 bursaries to wildlife artists over the last 30 years. There are artist talks and demonstrations during the run, and entry is free for under-25s.
Visit
The Natural Eye 2026: Society of Wildlife Artists’ Annual Exhibition
Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1Y 5AS
Thursday 1 – Saturday 10 October 2026, 10am – 5pm daily
£7 | Free for Friends of Mall Galleries and under-25s | Concessions available | No booking needed
Nearest station: Charing Cross