New work at The Whaletail Cafe, Summer 2021

Hare by Teresa Kirk

I’ve just installed new work at The Whaletail Cafe in Lancaster. This is a lovely cafe perched above a small, brilliant wholefood shop (where I like to buy medjool dates). Apart from The Whaletail’s changing exhibitions of work by local artists, they make amazing food - their homity pie, breakfasts and cakes are delicious - and everything is vegan/vegetarian.

Most of the work I’m sharing was developed under lockdown 3 and is a celebration of wildlife seen on the many walks, runs and bike rides that lockdowns offered. Exploring more of the countryside near home, I found a good place to spot hares, a place for owls at dusk, and otters on the river a little further from home.

Other pieces of work were based on pre-pandemic trips to see wildlife in Wales and Scotland - the characterful puffins on Skomer Island, Pembrokeshire, and eye-catching red squirrels in Edradour, Scotland.

Red Squirrel by Teresa Kirk

Like most of my work, these illustrations stem from a love of nature and an interest in conservation. Some of our most familiar and best loved ‘storybook’ animals, such as hedgehogs and dormice, are in steep decline and at risk of extinction. I wanted to include these creatures in particular, along with puffins, to highlight how beautiful they are and how much we need our diverse flora and fauna. If you do pay a visit, I hope you enjoy x

Hazel Dormouse by Teresa Kirk