Welcome to the Artists for Nature Foundation
Established in 1990 Artists for Nature Foundation (ANF) is a unique organisation that uses the creative output of artists producing paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures, inspired and mostly created on location by renowned and talented artists from all over the world as a medium to draw attention to the need for nature to be appreciated as an essential element of sustainable development.
ANF is a small and flexible organisation that cooperates closely with internationally recognised organisations and NGO's like World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Crossbill Foundation, the Wildlife Trusts in the UK, Birdlife International and others. With the headoffice based in the Netherlands, ANF has branches in several countries around the globe.
ANF acts as a catalyst for nature conservation and is not itself a formal nature conservation organisation. It draws the attention of policy-formulators and decision-makers to the natural world by enabling groups of influential and talented artists to capture the spirit of endangered landscapes and species in their natural habitat. Professionally mounted exhibitions of their artworks, DVD's and books that tell the story of each project and place have become collector's items show and tell the stories of the specific project. All the paintings, drawings, original prints and sculptures - as well as the project books are for sale. Please see the ANF webshop.
Over time the many publications and exhibitions of the artwork have contributed significantly to the efforts of biologists, ecologists, planners, politicians and many others, charged with protecting the natural world. ANF is proud of its 12 succesful projects on 4 continents involving over 130 artists that it has planned, facilitated, raised funds for, project managed and completed with great success - and to great acclaim.
ANF's work is endorsed by former world leaders like former US President Jimmy Carter and royal family members as Queen Noor of Jordan, King Juan Carlos of Spain, the late Prince Philip of the UK and the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.
In 2025 we celebrate our 35th anniversary
and we will start an exciting new project in Alaska.
Ysbrand Brouwers
Director of ANF
Ysbrand Brouwers,
Founder of ANF
News
Sunday May the 10th 2025 The day ended with a marvellous dinner, including several guests, 14 people together. Fright oysters and yellow eyed Red Snapper. A sweet cherry on the cake were a handful of songs and marvellous acoustic guitar performance by our long time friend and NC/ANF coordinator David…
Read moreSunday May the 10th 2025 A boat trip with Erin Cooper and her husband Sean, working for the National Forest Service, took 4 of us on a 6 hour boat trip over the Eyak river to the flats and to an abundant cannery. The day started with a complimentary breakfast…
Read moreThe 3 European ANF musketeers at Harney Bay, Cordova Alaska. From left to right: Laurent Willenegger, Ben Woodhams and Kokay Szabolcs.
Read moreImpressions of our flight in 3 shifts to the largest ocean front lacier, the Columbia Glacier. Unforgettable Impressive! Columbia Glacier
Read moreLast day at Sea Otter Island. View from Sea Otter Island by Ben Woodmams Sea Otter Island from the air, photo taken during our flight. (Photo by Ysbrand Brouwers) View from Sea Otter House with the moon. (Photo by Ysbrand Brouwers) The Old Stump at Sea Otter flats. (Photo by…
Read moreKaren Yoshitomi our great and dedicated cook and long time friend of Dune Lankard and David Grimes, who volunteers on this project because she believes in it! Breakfast, lunch and dinners, we are totally spoiled and surprised all the time! Karen Yoshitomi in the Eyak House kitchen Karen Yoshitomi and…
Read moreSlice painting by Ben Woodhams. Sea Otter Island. Slice painting by Ben Woodhams Ben Woodhams explains: I have been doing these paintings that I call 'slice paintings, for several years now. I was interested in the paradox of observational plein air painting - things are changing as you paint -…
Read moreWednesday, May the 7th 2025 A tranquil morning, no wind, small patches of blue and the snow covered mountains in the background, almost look unreal! Hard to paint something realistic that doesn’t look like a chocolate box….the varied landscape is so amazing! Laurent decided to take a dip in the…
Read moreTuesday, May 6th 2025 The day started gray and wet again. At 10.00, we all went by boat to Sea Otter Island. Another house owned by the Eyak Native Conservancy. A 15 minutes high speed crossings with Dune’s fishing boat with jet moters. Soon after our arrival with…
Read moreCordova, May 5th 2025 Again we had to struggle with constant light rain, but the area is breathtaking beautiful specially after all that rain these last days, there is plenty of running water! The trees are covered in different species of mosses, like the white hanging mosses called…
Read moreThe last two days the weather only got worse. First, almost constant drizzle and then the wind picked up, so umbrellas didn't work anymore as also the rains got more intense. But high spirits among the artists and many new experiences and landscapes and species never seen before!…
Read moreAfter a long and tiring trip with a stop for an overnight's stay in Anchorage, the 3 European artists and the one from California arrived May the first in Cordova. After dropping off our luggage at Eyak House, we explored the surroundings by our 8 person's van. Many…
Read morePeter Partington was a much-loved member of the SWLA, contributing to countless projects, exhibitions, and books with his lively artwork. Moreover, Peter brought humour and good nature to every private view or artists meeting that he ever attended – he was always great company and will be sorely missed. Peter…
Read more”The Heartbeat and Lifeblood of an Alaskan Rainforest” Artists for Nature Foundation/ Native Conservancy Joint Project 2025 – 2027 Copper River Delta & Prince William Sound, Alaska After an earlier project in the area 27 years ago, ANF has been asked by The Native Conservancy based in Cordova Alaska, to…
Read moreMay / June 2022 University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Biotechnology Jamnikarjeva ulica 101, Ljubljana, Slovenia The aim of the ‘Art Camp’ is to reach beside wildlife enthusiasts, other target groups and raise awareness about tourists’ opportunities created by large carnivore presence among the wider community. With the help of external…
Read moreRecent Projects
"Artists for Nature Foundation has recognized that artists can make a significant contribution to the conservation of nature by conveying the feeling and atmosphere of a scene in a way that is quite unique….an eloquent testimony to the concern of artists for the future of the natural world"
HRH the late Duke of Edinburgh President Emeritus of World Wide Fund for Nature
"Nature is not only a matter of numbers and facts, but also a matter of the heart…
Artists are often able to give shape to this love and to make it visible and comprehensible to others"
HRH the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
"Art for the love of Sark, the Jubilee year project for the Artists for Nature Foundation has had a hugely positive effect on the Islanders. The school children in particular gained so much through their work with the visiting ANF artists. Nature education and conservation now play a regular part in their schooling. Sark also continues to gain much positive publicity through the project book and film."
Michael Beaumont OBE Seigneur of Sark