James Dempsey
James Dempsey was born and brought up in Kenya. His lifelong love of nature and wildlife was nurtured by the adventures he enjoyed in this beautiful country.
From and early age he drew and painted the animals, birds and butterflies he saw around him.
Over twenty years ago, he embarked on a major project to capture through words and pen and ink drawings, what Kenya was like fifty years ago, before mass tourism and a burgeoning population changed the wild places forever. The result, 'The Last Rainbow' is an extraordinary, limited edition book that has been described by many as a classic piece of East African literature.
The book contains over 600 exquisite drawings. James latest work draws on his illustrative style with the addition of colour in the form of crayon. He finds this combination very successfully conveys the iridescence of birds, butterflies and insects.
Another major influence on his work are the masterpieces produced by Indian artists during the late 18th Century of the flora and fauna of India. As a result, his work is a combination of small scale, realistic detail, jewel like colours and a surprising looseness of syle that ensures his subjects retain their life-like quality.
Much of his output is snapped up by those who share his African background and love of butterflies and birds. Collectors appreciate the stunning true-to-life colours and details and the possibility of obtaining attractive sets of a particular subject.