A SHAFTSBURY environmental painter is calling for nature to take back control to restore what has been lost.

Gary Cook, who can often be found meandering through Shaftesbury’s famous Pine Walk – says he used to take delight in hearing the unmistakable sounds of cuckoos singing away.

But sadly, this is something he says he has noticed less and less of over the years.

Gary recently featured in your New Blackmore Vale when we reported that his six-foot-tall watercolour of the path through Pine Walk, Beneath the Beeches, is currently on display in London alongside some of the world’s best artists at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours exhibition at The Mall Galleries.

The ex-Sunday Times illustrator, who started his career creating graphics to help explain environmental issues for the paper, says the 200-year-old trees at Pine Walk have served as his muse over the years, but he has noticed a change.

“When we first moved here, you would always hear cuckoos every spring, but we’d hear them less and less over the years,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ve heard them for the past 15 years. The decline is worrying, but I think this is something the rest of the country is seeing sadly.”

According to the British Trust for Ornithology, numbers of cuckoos have dropped by 65% since the early 80s.

Cuckoos, arguably the UK’s most famous summer visitors, do not build their own nests but rather rely on finding suitable nests built by other birds through a process known as brood parasites.

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They remove an egg when the host is not looking and lay their own, which when hatched, will push the host’s eggs or babies out of the nest, allowing it to eat all food brought by the host bird.

While the reason for this sharp decline has not been confirmed, it has been suggested that climate-induced shifts in the timing of breeding of its hosts could have reduced the number of nests that are available for cuckoos to parasitise, resulting in their decline.

While the science suggests that the problem is not easily solved, some groups across Dorset are trying to do what they can to help nature reclaim what has been lost through rewilding.

Gary often finds himself immersed in nature through his work Picture: Gary Cook

Gary explained: “I also think that sometimes, especially in rural areas such as this, we view farmland as nature, but really the chemicals that are used on fields are driving away the nature that we are so proud of.

“There are some great projects that are focused on rewilding in Dorset, such as the Wild Woodbury in Bere Regis.

“They’ve not had that land for long, but as they are letting it grow, they are seeing so much wildlife come back, including ospreys.

“We don’t have to do much; in fact, we should be doing less and let nature take back some control. We would soon see the benefits.”

How Shaftesbury inspires his work

Gary has lived just outside Shaftesbury in the village of West Melbury with his wife for the past 35 years.

He said that the misty, atmospheric nature of Pine Walk serves as a constant inspiration for his work but added that Shaftesbury is a treasure trove for beautiful spots – if you know where to look.

“I try to go to Pine Walk at least once a week and take it all in,” he said. “Shaftesbury can be so atmospheric in certain conditions, so it’s a prime location to find things worth painting.

‘Beneath the beeches’ depicts the path through Pine Walk in Shaftesbury Picture: Gary Cook

“I also often go to nearby Melbury Hill, as there are some fantastic ash trees that I will paint in situ. This can be quite weird, as you can be there for up to three hours as some kind of enforced meditation.

“Some of the more hidden gems in the area are the yew trees found at the end of Pine Walk.

“We don’t know just how old they are, but they must be thousands of years old, and there are theories that people were worshipping the yew trees before a church was built.”

How to incorporate environmentalism into art – without being too on the nose

Gary is part of a prestigious group of nationally acclaimed artists, The Arborealists, who focus on bringing to life the often forgotten stalwart of the UK environment – trees.

His career before this plunge into nature saw him work as an illustrator for The Sunday Times, where he was tasked with creating environmental diagrams and posters.

After leaving his role at the Sunday Times 10 years ago, Gary started to create paintings that incorporated stats and facts, but he said this failed to get the response he was looking for, which made him come to realisation that he needed to pivot his approach.

“I gradually worked my way round to subtly hide environmental issues in my work, which I think is more effective than being brazen sometimes,” he said.

“It means that when you have an exhibition, people often start a conversation, as they might question what the words in the background of the piece mean, which gives me the opportunity to talk about the different species or trees that are under threat.

“It is tricky, though. You don’t want to preach to people; you want them to come to their own conclusion, and art can help that.”

Gary in Antarctica where he sketched penguins on the ice Picture: Gary Cook

Gary’s impressive six-foot ink and watercolour of Pine Walk is one of 500 selected works from 2,500 entries from around the world that are currently being featured at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours exhibition until April 5.

Gary’s watercolours return closer to home as part of the Wylye Valley Arts Trail from May 3 to 11 at The Old Dairy, Milton on Stour.

He’ll be exhibiting more of his favourite Dorset trees along with paintings and sketchbooks from when he visited Antarctica.

Check out Gary’s paintings by visiting his website, www.cookthepainter.com