The family moved to South Africa in 1965, but
it was not until 1972 that Clive started painting again. He recalls
trying to take some basic art lessons, but the art teacher had no interest
in wildlife. Rather than give up, he decided to teach himself. A year later he moved to England where he
saw the original paintings of David Shepherd, an artist who became world
famous for painting elephants. With Shepherd's influence, the urge to
paint grew stronger. In 1975 he moved to Canada where he
continued to pursue a career in personnel management. He soon had the
opportunity to meet and spend time with artist Robert Bateman. Clive
vividly remembers two private sessions with Bateman in his Ontario home.
His advice proved invaluable years later. In 1983 Clive gave up his personnel job,
returned to Africa and started to paint full time. 1986 saw his return to Canada where he
introduced his work for the first time to the Canadian and American public
with exhibitions in Toronto and New York. After a courtship of seven years, he
married his best friend, confidant and pillar of support, Enriqueta.
She is always there as Clive's success has continued to grow. They
travel together to the African bush every two years to research new
paintings, which are almost always now based on personal experience. He has done a number of special commission
paintings over the years, but by far "The Biggest One" was the inaugural
painting that the Walt Disney company commissioned for the opening of the
Animal Kingdom in April 1998. Visit the artist's
website:
Clive Kay was born and
raised on a 4000 acre farm in Zimbabwe. He credits his father for
giving him an understanding and love of the natural world. With
encouragement from his Dad to take up photography and Clive's favourite
subject, biology, at school, the result in later years was an urge to start
painting nature. He did his first painting in 1964. Throughout
his artistic life he has never received any formal art tuition and, apart
from some help from artist friends, he is basically self-taught.