The Artist
Cannon Winkler (b. 1996)
is a self-taught, visual artist working out of Arizona, USA. Using hand-collected animal tracks to paint distinct patterns, he invokes elements of “the wild” and our connection to it as humans. Winkler uses his art to raise funding and awareness for environmental conservation around the globe. His unique style of painting with wildlife tracks was pioneered in the South African Bushveld while he was “locked down” in a game reserve during the height of the 2020 Pandemic. In his paintings, he draws inspiration from nature and ancestral human artworks such as bushman rock art, aboriginal dream paintings, and eastern mandalas. Musing on our relationship with the natural world, he believes that fostering a sense of kinship with our last remaining wild places is essential if we are going to protect them in the future.
“Being a conservationist is not just about working in the field. You can be a waiter, dentist, or artist and still be a conservationist… It’s about the choices you make every day.”
— Jono Berry
Conservation & Sustainability Manager
Early Works
Winkler’s first full-sized painting, “Fruition”, was the result of several months of track collection and experimentation in the Waterberg Mountains, SA. This piece was created as a gift for Kololo Game Reserve, whose support was instrumental in the early stages of developing the process behind this style of art.
In The Field
Cannon is an FGASA certified field guide and a professionally trained tracker. Both skill sets are vital in the creation of his artwork. Having an understanding of animal behavior helps ensure that both he, and the wildlife he collects tracks from, remain safe and undisturbed.
Photo by Kayla Prinsloo
