Wildlife and Nature Artist; Alison Bates spends a fair bit of her time obtaining the needed inspirations that the Rocky Mountains surrounding her home endow her with.  “When I’m in the mountains, I feel complete,” she notes. “I try to express the visualization of my feelings that I attain  through the eyes of  Mother Nature, into the eye’s of the viewer in hopes that they will experience those same feelings as well,” she adds.  “The beauty I find expressed through Mother Nature’s ways and Her creatures inspires me to portray such into my artwork so that I can preserve the way I felt at that very moment.”

Alison was born in Inveremere, British Columbia in 1983, and now resides in the Elk Valley.  She was fortunate to have grown up in a family that enjoyed  outdoor activities such as hunting and trapping because it has influenced her artwork profoundly.

Alison was employed as a Hunting Guide for several years,  worked in a Taxidermy studio and is still passionate about hunting; as a source of healthy food for her family.  Having such a close relationship with nature has worked hand in hand with her artwork.   She also donates her artwork yearly to help raise money and awareness for nature/wildlife conservation efforts.

Having no formal education in art,  Alison largely taught herself.  She has been drawing ever since she could hold a pencil and has always had a creative mind.  In 2003, she decided to put down the pencil and try using the paintbrush and ever since has been painting in oils and acrylics, but still enjoys creating pencil sketches as well.  In 2009 Alison got married and had her first baby and he has inspired her to start focusing on trying to promote breast feeding through her art. “Breast feeding is so very important for both mother and child in the first year of life,” she states. “Society seems to be making it  less accepted to breast feed, although  Mother Nature has always intended all mammals to do so.” ” In my art I want to express how natural, amazing, beautiful and beneficial it is to breast feed in hopes that more woman will do so.”  “I also feel as though we are loosing touch with nature due to hectic lifestyles, technology and a chemical-evolving society in general, so I want to remind people of the basics and beauty of nature; that She still exists but She  needs to be more preserved and protected.”

Alison is very passionate about her work and will continue to grow as a Wildlife and Nature artist.