The Artist

My name is Lara Whatley, and I’m the artist behind Whatley’s Wildlife. I’ve been creating for as long as I can remember. Art supplies were never far from reach growing up thanks to my mother, the art teacher. We lived alongside a woods, and my younger days were filled with moss and fanciful stories; a healthy dose of fairytales read to us in the evening.

I went to university for Commerce, trading fireflies for finance and adventure for accounting. I learned a lot about being an entrepreneur, and how much I didn't like accounting. The bright bit in my degree was going down to New Zealand for exchange and studying creative writing and 3D modelling and animation there, as well as visiting and taking a few courses at Weta Workshop. 

After I graduated in 2020, I decided instead of pursuing a desk job in a world where everyone was working from home anyways, I would take the leap into what I felt was my calling.

The rest is history. I create what inspires me, and what I hope will go on to inspire others. I’m forever learning, discovering new mediums, new passions, and it allows me to create with freedom. The world of art is very exciting, Like an explorer of old, discovery lies at every turn. I don’t consider myself “there” yet. I’m still learning. I’m so thankful you’re here with me on this journey.

Some milestones in my art journey so far include being published in a few journals and papers including Polymer Weekly and The Toronto Star. Having my photos go viral on social media “Pippin the Penguin”, and “The Leaf Bat”, having my first shop update to sell out within minutes, reaching my first million views on a reel about my mushroom bookmarks, having my first work cast in bronze, and signing a book deal with Eye of Newt press. My life is not just my successes; a mountain of trial and error and other experiments lie behind them, but that’s art, I suppose!

When I'm not creating, I can be found reading, snuggling the dogs, dreaming of taking off to Scotland (on rare happy occasions I can be found in the moors), drinking copious amounts of coffee, learning new hobbies I definitely don't have time for, beachcombing for shells and bones, writing my books with classical music on full blast, thrifting, or taking sunset walks with my husband. Other fun facts: I had a flock of sheep until very recently. I know how to play the harp, piano, and guitar. I'm allergic to the sun. I wanted to be an astronaut, a wildlife rehabber, a marine biologist, or a vet when I was younger. But my true passion was always to be a writer and an artist, and somehow I've found my way there. 

Thank you