SOUTHWESTERN USA
HERP TRIP

Art Gallery

The art gallery at the Chiricahua Desert Museum is probably the largest collection of Tell Hicks' art on show in one single place.

Tell is an award-winning and extremely productive British artist who specialises in wildlife subjects, particularly those of an herpetological nature. His subjects are extremely varied ranging from butterflies and ducks to Komodo dragons and rattlesnakes. He is currently working on a complete series of paintings for every rattlesnake in the state of Arizona, a total of at least 19 taxa.

He is often commissioned to paint portraits for celebrities, museums and universities.

He divides his time between Somerset in the UK and the Southwest of the USA.

Tell Hicks relaxing at the Desert Museum, surrounded by his herpetological art and a Komodo dragon carving, this last not his work!

Tell's portrait of Anglo-Greek herpetologist C.J.P.Ionides, poacher, hunter, turned herpetologist & conservatist, a personal favourite of mine.

Tell's portraits are instantly recognisable, I knew C.J.P.Ionides, the Anglo-Greek snake man of East Africa, as soon as I saw his likeness on the wall. This portrait is a particular favourite of mine, I had to keep going back and looking into the eyes of this famous herpetologist.

And Tell does not only paint herpetological, or even extant species. The extinct Tasmanian Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) from New Guinea portraits hang in the desert museum shop.

A Thylacine, Thylacinus cynocephalus, family in Tasmania, not painted from life!	A Southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, family in New Guinea, the original "big Bird"

And finally I spotted this little piece of art!
Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter), Bubba the Alligator, a Gila monster and a cobra conspiring to beat me up!

A sketch by Tell, drawn before Steve was killed. Hmmm! the devil makes work for idle hands Tell.

See also
Herpetological Museum
Gift & Bookshop