You meet Tom Middleton at a moment of change in his life. He grew up in Lancaster and focused his early career on music. He performed, composed, and tried to make it work. At twenty-eight, he looked for a way to support himself and turned to wildlife art. He kept it simple at first. Pick up a pencil. Draw what you see. But something shifted when he stepped into this new world. You sense it as you follow his early steps into South Africa.
Tom flew from Johannesburg to Pretoria to learn from Kevin Richardson. People call Kevin the Lion Whisperer, but Tom went there to listen, not to chase a title. He spent his days studying the quiet patterns of life inside the reserve. He watched lions move as if the air around them carried memory. He travelled the garden route and visited sanctuaries. He reached Gansbaai and stood at the water’s edge to study enormous white sharks. At some point on that trip, the work stopped feeling like extra income and started feeling like a calling. You can see that Tom never forgot what he saw there when you look at his later works.
He entered the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition with King Elephant. Judges gave it high commendation in 2019. His confidence grew. The next few years brought a category win for Silver Lining and more commendations for pieces that pushed him forward. Here’s Johnny, calculating. Run, man cub. Each piece carried a trace of the animals he met. Each one showed you how closely he paid attention.
In 2023, the foundation asked Tom to host the virtual awards. He accepted and spoke with the ease of someone who understands the culture of this community. After the ceremony, he returned to his practice. He finished Fever Pitch in 2024 and took first place in the Into the Blue division. The award confirmed what you already see in his growth. Tom does not drift. He commits.
His work now travels far beyond his studio. You find it in the homes of people who care deeply about the natural world. Sir David Attenborough owns a piece. So do Jason Momoa, Jason Fox, Christina Ochoa, Dougie Poynter, Myles Kennedy, Clive Standen, Louise Redknapp and Clare Balding. Clare’s piece, The Great Encounter, appears often on Celebrity Gogglebox. You also see his work in BBC Discover Wildlife, Artists and Illustrators Magazine, and Lancashire Life. His drawings have filled the VIP tents at Glastonbury and even reached Chelsea Football Stadium.
You understand Tom’s reach when you study his process. He draws as if he is still standing in the dust beside the lions. He keeps his lines honest. He removes noise. He leaves space for the viewer to breathe. When you look at his subjects, you feel present with them. That presence is the quiet strength of his work.
Tom plans his largest piece yet for the coming year. He talks about it with patience. You can hear the same intention that guided him from music to conservation. He follows what feels true. If you look at his journey from Lancaster to South Africa to international recognition, you see a simple pattern. He pays attention. He learns. He returns to the page.
Tom Middleton
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Hello art lovers. My name is Deepak Mehla, and I’m from Karnal, India. I enjoy reading stories about people’s struggles and how they overcome them. These motivational stories work like a source of energy for me.
Although Arttellers is completely different from my original vision, I, too, am going through a challenging phase in life. To keep myself busy and to hold on to hope, I share stories of artists with all of you. I believe these stories will give you a new direction, just as they inspire me.
Arttellers exists because I want to share how some people turn the work they love into their livelihood, and how choosing their passion leads them to success. I started Arttellers to keep my own hope alive and to help you discover people whose journeys might inspire you too.
