Cliff Towler

Cliff Towler is a contemporary British wildlife artist and landscape painter, based in Dorset, South West England.
Born in Poole, in 1957, he is highly regarded for his vibrant, realistic, and detailed depictions of British wildlife—especially coastal birds—and scenic landscapes. He is an active fellow of the Dorset Artists Guild. Primarily focusing on British coastal birds and wildlife, he also paints West Country landscapes, seascapes, and safari animals like apes, leopards and tigers.
Working mostly in mixed media, combining acrylic, oil and watercolour, he continues to build a large database of reference photographs by sitting in bird hides and taking observational walks. He uses these shots to capture a specific, unique moments of movement or animal action.
Towler started his working life as a Saturday boy trainee in a silk screen printing studio at age 14, learning to print giant promotional dayglo posters for iconic acts like David Bowie, Slade, T. Rex, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.
He then formally studied illustration, life drawing, and art history at Bournemouth and Poole College of Art in the mid 1970’s before progressing to work for many years as a freelance illustrator for advertising agencies, publishing houses and magazines. He established Creative Studios, a successful Bournemouth advertising agency and in 2005, he co-founded the Creative Gallery in Wareham, Dorset, continuing there as resident artist after a change of ownership. His original mixed media pieces and limited edition prints, are routinely exhibited and sold across UK galleries.