Sadly, with his wife Suzie at his side, John lost his battle with cancer on May 19, 2020.

Click image above to view the video.

Click above image to view a Zoom presentation / interview with Suzie Seerey-Lester .
Password is !2^1Dixh

With work hanging at the White House and in permanent, private and Museum collections, throughout the world, John Seerey-Lester has become one of the most renowned of today’s wildlife and historic artists. He moved to America over 30 years ago, making it his base of operation, and is now proud to be a citizen of the USA. He has continued to travel the world in search of images, over the years, preferring to paint from life. He has visited such diverse locations as Africa, China (where he painted the rare Giant Panda in the wild), India, the Arctic and Antarctica as well as Central and South America. It was a visit to East Africa over 35 years ago that gave birth to his interest in wildlife. Published by Mill Pond Press, John has had over 400 different limited edition prints produced over the years, which led to him being one of the most sought after artists.

He was presented to His Royal Highness Prince Phillip and was commended for his work in conservation. He has been chosen to exhibit works in the prestigious Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum’s “Birds in Art” and “Wildlife: An Artist’s View”, shows each year since 1983 and his paintings are in their permanent collection. He has been made Master or Featured Artist for nearly every major wildlife art show over the years. He has also displayed in several other Museums such as the Gilcrease Museum, and National Museum of Wildlife Art, and in many other permanent collections such as Bennington Center for the Arts, and Nature in Art Museum. John was Artist of the Year and featured artist for: South Eastern Wildlife Expo, Miniature ’85, Pac Rim Wildlife Art Show, Florida Wildlife Expo, 7th Annual South East Invitational Miniature Show, Celebration Weekend and presented with the Key to the City of Troy Ohio, Reflections of Nature to name a few. John was presented with the Award of Excellence and the Patricia Allen Bott Award for his Mara River Horse (2002), and again in (2006) for “White On White” by the Society of Animal Artists. In 2011 he received the Award of Excellence from the Susan K. Black Foundation. Sporting Classics awarded him as the Artist of the Year in 2012.

John is on the board of The Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the Board of Artists for Conservation, and has a regular column in Sporting Classics Magazine. You will frequently find him featured along with his paintings in numerous magazines such Sarasota Magazine, Dallas Safari Club’s GameTrails, the NRA’s American Rifleman, and Ring of Freedom, as well as Informart, African Hunter, Sports Afield, Wildlife Art, Western and American Art Collectors. He is a member of The Society of Animal Artists, Artists for Conservation, Oil Painters of America, and a founding member of Southern Plein Air Artists.

A book on his life and work was released in November 1991. The book, Face to Face with Nature: The Art of John Seerey-Lester, sold out in 1995. A second book titled Impressions of India and Nepal, based on his fieldwork there, was published soon after. His more recent book Painting Wildlife with John Seerey-Lester, which was published in 2003, has also sold out. His book “Useppa A Passage in Time” was published in October 2007. “Useppa” won a Silver Medal for its images and outstanding historical content.

Smell the smoke from the campfire, feel the freezing rain pierce your skin, and taste the dust from the safari, as you view the magnificent paintings that accompany each story. You will find yourself drifting back in time to join these legendary hunts and hear all about the campfire stories. His new book Legends of the Hunt – Campfire Tales is available now. Altogether it’s a remarkable journey – one that you will treasure always. In 2013 John was knighted by His Imperial and Royal Highness Archduke Andreas of Austria, for his work in conservation. He is now known as Sir John Seerey-Lester.

John & Suzie Seerey-Lester Receive The Simon Combes Award For Conservation Suzie and John Seerey-Lester accepting the Simon Combes Award for Conservation, September, 2014 John and Suzie Seerey-Lester returned from Canada as proud recipients of the prestigious Simon Combes Award for Conservation. The couple said they were very honored to receive the award (a magnificent bronze sculpture by Peter Gray of South Africa). It was presented to them jointly at the annual Artists for Conservation (AFC) festival on the breathtaking Grouse Mountain Resort in Vancouver, British Columbia. The event was of particular significance to the Seerey-Lesters because of their friendship with the English Artist, Simon Combes, for whom the award is named, who died tragically after being attacked by a Cape buffalo in Africa some ten years ago. The Seerey-Lesters have been involved in raising funds for conservation for over 30 years. John has raised millions of dollars personally to save African and American wildlife and habitat. Both devote a large amount of time every year raising funds for their favorite groups.

In 2019, John Seerey-Lester Received SAA  Lifetime Achievement Award Click the above image to watch a YouTube video of the presentation of the award to John. (YouTube video courtesy of Rachelle Siegrist)