Juan Varela facts for kids
Juan Varela (born in Madrid, Spain, in 1950) is a talented biologist and a famous Wildlife Artist. He combines his love for nature with his amazing artistic skills. He is known for painting animals in their natural homes, especially birds.
Contents
Juan Varela: A Life for Nature and Art
Early Life and Studying Animals
Juan Varela was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1950. He studied Biology in Madrid and earned a master's degree. For his master's, he studied how seabirds behave.
Until 1980, he researched seabirds in gull colonies. These colonies were off the north coast of Africa. At the same time, he drew scientific pictures for nature magazines and encyclopedias. He was the main artist for Felix Rodriguez de la Fuente, a well-known Spanish nature filmmaker and writer.
Helping Nature Through Organizations
In 1986, Juan Varela became the Director of the Spanish Ornithological Society. He held this job until 1990. After that, he started spending more time on his art. Eventually, art became his full-time job.
He also helped start the Mediterranean seabird association. For many years, this group worked to protect the amazing variety of life, called biodiversity, in the Mediterranean Sea area. As an active member, he helped organize international meetings in Spain, Italy, and Tunisia.
In 1992, he began working with the Artist for Nature Foundation. This group is based in the Netherlands. It helps protect nature through art. Juan Varela took part in many projects in different countries. These included Peru, Ecuador, Spain, Alaska, and Portugal. He is the official representative for this foundation in Spain.
His Amazing Artworks
Juan Varela has published 20 books. Among them are two guides to help identify birds and mammals. He also wrote a book for students on how to draw nature.
His paintings have been shown in art galleries and museums. You can find his work in the UK, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, and the USA. Some of his paintings are part of the permanent collection at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin, USA.
Juan Varela is seen as one of the people who started modern Wildlife Art in Spain. He has helped it grow by teaching others. He often creates his paintings outdoors. He watches animals directly in their natural homes. But he also uses sketches he made in the field for his studio work.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Varela Simó para niños
