Hazel Mountford, born in Kent, received a BA (Hons) from Wimbledon School of Art and has exhibited with Quantum since 2007. Working in acrylic on handmade (often irregularly shaped) wood panels Hazel captures the essence of each animal she paints through a combination of meticulous study and strong technique. Her artwork takes inspiration from current issues concerning the natural world. She says “I am fascinated by the competition for space between humans and animals and between animal species, a constantly evolving intricate jigsaw.” Her work has been featured in Art of England, Artists and Illustrators and the BBC Wildlife Magazine. Hazel’s paintings have been exhibited in London, Glasgow, Dublin, New York, Toronto, Singapore and Hong Kong. In 2009 she won the prestigious BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year and in 2016 was shortlisted for the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year.