Nick Mackman is a sculptor of one-off clay animals. Drawing on her experience as a rhino keeper and on safari, she aims to get under the skin of the animal and then recreate it, giving each one its own personality. Her pieces are Raku fired, giving a rich but natural crackle glaze. Sometimes bristles, papier maché and other materials are used.

Some of her subjects are relatively unknown or highly endangered and she has travelled to places such as Botswana and Madagascar to observe many of the animals she models in the wild. It is with these animals that she aims to enlighten us to their beauty, humour and tenderness, even though they may be largely perceived as purely ugly or aggressive.

She has been widely exhibited and over the years her animals have found homes with, amongst others, John Cleese, June Whitfield and Viscountess Serena Linley. She has accepted commissions from British Airways and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, making trophies for the award winners (David Attenborough is pictured left with one of Nick's pieces).

To help offset carbon emissions associated with the production of her work and fuel expended during deliveries, Nick donates 3% of her profits towards tree planting and safeguarding forests in Britain and South America. She is also an active supporter of conservation and animal welfare groups, such as the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Nick lives in Devon with her husband, young twins and two dogs.

You will find a wide selection of Nick's work in the Portfolio, which is regularly updated and can be searched alphabetically. New work is posted on the New Beasties page. All Nick's pieces are hand made to order, so please contact us if your favourite animal is not illustrated. For more information please visit the Commissions page.