AS FAR as wildlife artists are concerned Fiona Clucas is up there with the best in the UK.

Highly revered far and wide, in November 2013 she was thrilled to be elected as a full member of the Society Of Wildlife Art.

“It is a fabulous accolade to be part of the society,” says Fiona. “They are a nice crowd. I met many of them at the annual meeting in London.

“I had all six pieces of work accepted in the society’s annual exhibition at The Mall Galleries, which being the 50th anniversary of the society was opened by Sir David Attenborough, who gave a terrific and impassioned speech about how such a large proportion of the human population of the world are now urbanised and how communication with the natural world is maintained with the help of artists.”

Born in Liverpool, Fiona’s formative years were spent in Crosby before the family moved to Leicestershire where she lived before moving away to college.

She completed an art foundation course at Leicester Polytechnic in 1982, then went on to gain a BA in fine art at Gloucestershire College of Art in 1985.

“Mum had her own pottery when were very young and also worked as a picture restorer,” explains Fiona. “Both my grandparents on mum’s side painted for a hobby. I have early memories of making clay hedgehogs and trying to reach the kick on mum’s potters wheel with great difficulty. At our local village school we had two teachers who loved nature and encouraged us to do many creative projects. In my early teens, always being fond of animals I did many pastels of our own and friends pets.”

Fiona is a landscape/wildlife artist who paints in a range of figurative styles depending on the subject, location and materials being used.

Although no longer involved, she is well-known in Cumbria as a founding member of Kendal’s remarkable Green Door arts group, set-up in 1995.

Her own influences included artists such as Arthur Walton and Edward Hornel: “I have for many years loved the work of the Glasgow Boys who where painting in the late 19th early 20th century; everyday rural landscapes with figures and animals with a wonderful use of paint and colour. A Hind’s Daughter by James Guthrie has to be one of my most favourite paintings. And I admire the work of wildlife artist Lars Jonsson and the ethereal egg tempera paintings of Ruth Stage.”

Fiona loves being in the garden and walking, and wherever she treads she’s always open to inspiration: “I’ve many memorable moments of painting in very special places,” explains Fiona, “however, painting the midnight sun in Arctic waters felt such a privilege and is something I will never forget.”

Closer to home, Levens Moss is one of Fiona’s favourite haunts, inspired by the area’s wildlife while walking her Patterdale/Border terrier Bridie: “It might be a blackbird sat on a fence or the way the light changes on the leaves of a plant.”

Fiona says she likes to have several paintings on the go at the same time. “I might start by producing coloured sketches out in the landscape. These sometimes together with photos for reference would be my starting point. Sometimes the sketches may end up being finished paintings. Other times while I’m walking I might do simple pencil sketches, noting down a bird or an animal, colours, textures and how the light was. Then when I get back in the studio while still fresh in my memory I might produce paintings on paper or canvas.”

So what spurs her on creatively, I ask?

“The beauty of the natural world around me and the complete absorption of the process of painting and of being in the creative zone. It’s a great place to be. Whatever’s going on around you, when you are in the process of painting you are totally absorbed by the actual doing.”

Fiona has worked with schools on many occasions, running workshops and no doubt inspiring young people.

“If I hadn’t been so hopeless at maths I may well have gone into primary education as I love working with children. I like the freshness of their ideas. Their minds are uncluttered and they often have very clear ideas about what they want to paint and draw.”

Fiona says that one of her most enjoyable exhibitions was the Shared Earth Exhibition at Barwick Hall in Witherslack in the summer of 2012: “It was a joint exhibition with my husband Brian Fereday, who showed his poetry for the first time, along with my paintings and drawings.”

So, has Fiona any major plans for 2014 up her artistic sleeve?

“I’m really just painting from one day to the next. However, Brian and I have an exhibition booked for the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal in September, which will be a good focus for the year.

“I can’t see a dramatic shift in my style of painting. I like to think my work has and will continue to evolve. I find I am being more drawn to plants both in the garden and in the wild so I think they may feature more in my work.

“Over the summer recuperating after a foot operation I came across the magical flower paintings of Morris Graves who was an American mystic artist. Inspired by his still lives I would like to start painting in oils again, the subjects being simple studies of flowers and berries.

“As for the Brewery exhibition I hope to work on a series of drawings and paintings expanding further on our Shared Earth theme.”