About the Artist
Grant Hacking
Nature In Oils LLC
Born and raised in South Africa, Grant Hacking spent the first 25 years of his life immersed in the rich diversity of African wildlife and dramatic landscapes. These formative experiences left a lasting impression, continuing to influence his art with a deep reverence for the natural world. Extensive travels throughout the region provided inspiration and material for his vivid and dynamic wildlife compositions. In 1990, Hacking relocated to the United States, where his artistic focus gradually expanded to include local subjects—shaped in part by his devotion to raising two daughters. Now based in Charleston, South Carolina, his portfolio encompasses a wide range of themes, including figurative work, architecture, coastal scenes, and especially the landscapes of his surrounding environment. Hacking resists being confined to a single genre, explaining, “Strictly speaking, I do not want to be categorized as either a wildlife painter or a landscapist because what I really paint is nature.” He divides his creative time between these two focal points, often painting North American snow scenes during the summer heat and returning to warm memories of Africa during the cooler months. His technique varies distinctly by subject: painterly and abstract for landscapes, and detailed and precise for wildlife. Yet the two approaches complement one another. “I apply what I learn painting landscapes to creating more authentic habitats for my wildlife,” he notes, “and conversely, the technical skills I enforce through my renditions of wildlife go back into my landscapes.” Drawing African subjects from memory allows Hacking to explore more imaginative, emotionally driven compositions, while painting en plein air imbues his landscapes with immediacy and a quality of light that cannot be replicated in the studio. Entirely self-taught, Hacking inherits his artistic roots from both parents, who were professional painters. Observing his father at the easel not only sharpened his technical skills but also provided early insight into the business of art; foundation that has been critical to his professional success. Devoted to his craft, Hacking remains hands-on throughout the entire artistic process. He carefully selects frames that enhance each work, sometimes constructing his own rustic wood frames for wildlife paintings, while using handmade gold-leaf frames for other subjects to lend a refined, elegant finish. Looking back on his journey, Hacking reflects, “When all is said and done, being a painter is really about making connections. Artists put so much of themselves into their paintings that buyers are often attracted as much by the personality of the artist as they are by a specific work. For this reason, the artist must strive to make certain each painting evokes a personal experience between the viewer and his art—one which allows the imagination to create what the brush leaves out.”
Awards:
Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2026 (Chorus of Bee-Eaters)
2023 Mule Deer Foundation Print of the Year ‘Morning Air’
2021 Birds in Art. Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (The Wood Stork)
2018 Editor’s Choice Award, American and Western Art Collector
2015 Southeastern Wildlife Exposition Feature Artist
2014 Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum ("Resting on One Leg")
‘Peoples Choice Award’ First Place 2008, 9 th Annual Wildlife and Western VisionsArt Show (‘Intent’ – Mt Lion)
Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2006/2007 ("Guardsman")This image was included in an exhibition which toured multiple museum venues.
‘American Artist Abroad’ 2006, Bennington Center for the Arts “First Place”(‘African Sky’ ~ Landscape)
Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2004/2005 ("Wood Creek")This image was included in an exhibition which toured multiple museum venues.
Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum 2003/2004 ("Moving South")This image took First Place in The Artists 'Magazine 20 th Annual Art Competition(2003) and was also selected to tour the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek, CA
Southeastern Wildlife Art Exposition 1996: Swept awards including "Best of Show", "First Place", "VIP Choice First Place", "VIP Choice Second Place".
Society of Animal Artists: Painting "The Ancient One", (a Baobab tree).
Publications:
Gray’s Sporting Journal 50 th Anniversary Edition May/June 2025: “Favorite Covers”
Visions in Granite (200 years of painting in New Hampshire’s White Mountains)
US Art: Profiled as a "Rising Star" in 1995
Wildlife Art News, December 1997
InformArt: Fall 2005 issue: "Wildlife Artists Reach Beyond Art to Conservation Efforts"
Covers: Grays Sporting Journal Cover and Article Sep., 2015, 2022, 2023 2024 Safari Magazine 1999, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 Gray’s Sporting Journal 1998 Sept/Oct 2015, July 2015, Nov/Dec 2002, 2019, 2020 Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery June 2001 Lawyer September 1997 Conservation and Donation: IWC (International Wildlife Crime Stoppers) Palm Beach Zoo Donation and Auction Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover, Hampshire, England Waldorf Education
Collections: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art Nature in Art Museum, Gloucester, England The Bennington Center for the Arts The Raymond James Financial Collection, St. Petersburg, Florida The Worrell Collection, The World of Animals’ (Peter Jefferson Place) The James Deinlein Collection (Private) Senator Judd and Kathy Gregg Senator John Astle Drew Barrymore Charles Johnson (Owner SF Giants and Co-founder Franklin Resources) Richard Litton and Audra Bullock (Harbor Group International) Uline collection (Private) David Stinnett (Reference Services Inc. -Private)
Member: The Society of Animal Artists Official Artist for IWC Publisher: Wild Wings Inc (Cabela’s) Shows Previous & Current: The Mountain Oyster Club Safari Club International Southeastern Wildlife Expo Traveling the West Art Show Easton Waterfowl Festival Yadkinville Arts Center Wildlife and Visions Art Show The Russell Auction Christies Action White Mountain Art Show Bennington Center for the Arts
