James Crandall
Originally along career as a concept illustrator he shifted his focus to traditional easel painting
He’s very good too
Figurative and Cityscapes in Contemporary Impressionist style
It was a privilege to cover the funeral of Jack Meacham, a Portsmouth WWII veteran who died aged 106. Serving sailors and former personnel lined the route to the Crematorium in tribute to his service. The family described the experience as 'phenomenal' ♥️
In the early 2000s, a colony of little penguins living on Middle Island near Warrnambool, Australia, was on the verge of disappearing.
Foxes had discovered they could reach the island during low tide, and repeated attacks devastated the population.
What had once been a thriving colony of more than 500 penguins was reduced to fewer than 10 breeding pairs by 2005.
Faced with the possible loss of the colony, conservationists turned to an unusual solution. In 2006, specially trained Maremma Sheepdogs were introduced to guard the island.
Traditionally used in Italy to protect livestock from predators, the dogs were adapted for a new role: protecting penguins.
The first guardian dogs, Eudy and Tula, were placed on the island during the breeding season. Their presence was enough to deter foxes from approaching the colony, dramatically reducing predation.
Over the following years, the penguin population began to recover, growing from the brink of extinction to well over 100 birds, with some surveys later recording around 180 to 200 penguins.
The project became one of the world's most celebrated conservation success stories. For more than a decade, fox attacks were effectively prevented while the dogs were on duty.
Their importance became especially clear in 2017 when penguins arrived earlier than expected and before the guardian dogs had returned to the island. During that period, foxes killed around 70 penguins in a single attack event.
Once the dogs were reinstated, the attacks stopped again.
Today, the Middle Island Maremma Project is recognized internationally as a pioneering example of using livestock guardian dogs to protect endangered wildlife.
The remarkable story inspired the 2015 Australian film "Oddball" and demonstrated how a simple, creative idea helped save an entire penguin colony from disappearing forever.
Paul Gustav Fischer (1860-1934)
Danish artist painting everyday happenings on the streets of Copenhagen in his time
I love his work. The clarity after all the years
The fish sale scene is amazing almost like being there