John Seerey-Lester, one of the giants in the world of wildlife art, died on May 19 after a short battle with cancer.
A resident of Osprey, Florida, John was born and raised in England, then relocated to America in 1980. He loved his adopted country and became a citizen in 2012. He is survived by his wife, Suzie, and his son, John Jr.
With work hanging in the White House as well as museum collections, private homes and assemblages all around the world, Seerey-Lester was known for his mystical and mysterious animals, and was frequently called “The Godfather of Wildlife Art.”
Several years ago, the multi-talented artist joined with Sporting Classics to launch the “Legends of the Hunt” book series. He wrote all the true stories and created more than 100 images for each of the three books: Legends of the Hunt, Campfire Tales and The Legendary Hunts of Theodore Roosevelt. His fourth book, Legendary Hunters and Explorers, will be published later this year by Sporting Classics.
One of John’s favorite subjects was Theodore Roosevelt, and he was named “The preeminent modern-day painter of Theodore Roosevelt.”
John Seerey-Lester was knighted by His Imperial and Royal Highness, Archduke Andreas of Austria, for his work in conservation. He and his wife, Suzie, received the Simon Combes Award for Conservation in 2014 from Artists for Conservation. The Society of Animal Artists presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Just recently, he was presented the NRA’s Hunter’s Leadership Forum Award for his work in conservation. These are just a few of his numerous awards.
John was generous with his time and talents. He has been a master or featured artist for nearly every major wildlife show in both the U.S. and the U.K. during the past 42 years. He and Suzie taught wilderness wildlife workshops for the past 20 years, helping new painters as well as professional artists become better at their craft.
John was known for his gifts to conservation and the organizations that were important to him. He was honored to be part of the Boone and Crockett Club, Campfire Club of America, NRA–ILA and HLF, Artists for Conservation, St. Hubertus and the Society of Animal Artists.
“John’s sketchbooks and sketchpads are filled with ideas that were yet to be painted,” said Suzie. “His passion was painting, every waking second of the day. His legacy will continue.”
Suzie will announce his “celebration of life” after the current pandemic has passed. “He touched so many people and the art world has lost an incredible man. I will always love him.”
