Ann and I are thrilled to reveal the latest additions to The Wylde Ones collection…
When we launched the series last spring, neither of us anticipated quite how warmly it would be received — nor how many new faces it would introduce to Otherwurlde Studio.
Six months on, The Wylde Ones has grown into a family of more than thirty original works, and it continues to expand, thanks to your support.
As this journal goes live, we are preparing for our first return of the year to Swindon’s Designer Outlet Centre (Jan 30–Feb 2) — each showing there represents another step forward and extends the reach of the collection.
We hope you enjoy these new releases as much as Ann has enjoyed bringing them into the world.
With our warmest wishes,
Gary & Ann
Well, hello once more…
For those who’ve been with us from the beginning, welcome back. And if this is your first glimpse into The Wylde Ones, here’s a little context.
Each piece in the collection is hand-painted by Ann on linen-wrapped canvas board — a subtle but deliberate shift from the smoother panels used for Otherwurlde. The natural weave of the canvas, combined with Ann’s gestural brushwork, lends these paintings a softness and vitality. They don’t strive for polish; they carry energy. They hum with intent.
There is one exception in this latest group. Morag’s Munchin’ is painted on a deep, stretched box-canvas — the only format that would comfortably accommodate the fine layering of fur and hair the subject demanded. As a result, its eventual framing solution will differ slightly from the rest of the collection.
Colour plays its own quiet but important role. Drawing inspiration from heritage paint archives — let’s call them Barrow & Fall — Ann blends bespoke oil hues that echo those timeless tones: warm, elegant, and at home in lived-in spaces. With this release, that palette has widened. Alongside the archive colours, we’ve begun referencing contemporary ranges, and for the first time have drawn from Little Greene as well. In fact, three of the four new works correspond to Little Greene hues.
Compositionally, these creatures rarely take centre stage. Instead, they hover at the edges, as if just stepping into view — a nod to wildness that is unposed, unannounced, and unapologetic. The effect can feel quietly unsettling, and that’s entirely intentional. Art isn’t here to soothe; it’s here to prompt thought, invite reflection, and earn its place.
By leaving the frame open, we also leave room for story. For ambiguity. For the sense that something might happen just beyond the edge of what’s shown.
With that in mind… let’s take a look at what this latest wave brings.
It’s no surprise that hares have become the runaway success of The Wylde Ones. With each new release, we’ve made sure to include at least one — giving collectors the chance to display them together as a larger, characterful grouping.
However, this time around Ann decided that she wanted to explore a more soulful side to the hare…
When we lived atop a gently rolling hill, we were bordered on one side by a single open field — home to a healthy population of hares. Visible in all weathers and at all hours, these hardy, noble creatures became our quiet markers of time, their presence charting the passage of the seasons. Since moving away, they remain one of the few things we genuinely miss.
And because it was so dark up there, we knew that on nights of a full moon they would almost certainly be out in the field — glorying in its mystery, just as their kind has done for countless ages past. For the finishing touch, Ann included a moth. We love how the hare is so transfixed by the moon, that the moth flits by unnoticed…
It was for them that Ann painted Moongazer.
And the background? For ‘Moongazer..’ we chose ‘Canton’ from the Little-Greene archive — a deep, regal tone that complements the hare’s warm colouring perfectly.
The image below, shows how we’re framing Original Artworks for this collection. We’re having work float-mounted over a matte background of midnight blue. There’s then a small gap before we get to a fillet of distressed & antique’d effect brass. That allows the blue backboard to show through along with the natural shadows cast by the artwork itself. It’s a beautiful solution. As for the actual moulding, we’re using a gently contoured, inward-sloping moulding in matte-black. We consider this the ideal solution to best support these expressive slabs of colour and allow them to ‘sing’.
Next, we have Morag’s Munchin’
Since launching ‘Wylde back in last year’s spring, I’ve been keeping notes of the requests that people have had for new subject ideas. Top of the list? Highland Cows…
We couldn’t rush this one.
From the outset, The Wylde Ones has been a celebration of British wildlife in all its variety — deliberately avoiding the familiar comforts of domesticated animals. But collections evolve, and there comes a moment when holding the line too tightly begins to feel less like principle and more like hesitation.
After much thought, we decided that if the collection were to expand, a Highland Cow felt like the right place to begin. Not just any cow, but a study with enough charm and presence to sit comfortably within the visual language of the series, tucked into the corner of the composition like all the others.
And so Ann sketched what would become Morag’s Munchin’ — a piece we’ve grown very fond of. The familiar ginger-browns and russet reds of her coat are handled with real sensitivity, and I particularly love the loose tuft of hair slipping over Morag’s eye, lending her that air of studied nonchalance as she regards the viewer while calmly working through her stalk of barley.
One final note. To achieve the level of finesse Ann wanted in Morag’s hair, this piece demanded a deeper box canvas — almost twice the depth of those used elsewhere in the collection. As a result, while we’ve shared framed mock-ups here, the finished framing of the original may differ slightly in the flesh.
And the background? For Morag’s Munchin’ we chose ‘Goblin’ from the Little-Greene archive — a deep, almost sea-green that forms a striking counterpoint to Morag’s gingery hair.
This piece has been a long time coming.
To understand Twang!, we need to return to the very beginning of The Wylde Ones. In that first release, one painting quickly became a firm favourite — Three Thieves! A trio of cheeky field mice, working together like a trapeze act, stealing a plump berry straight from the branch.
The story continued with The Great Divide… Here, the mice are almost home free, the prize within touching distance. But look closely and something feels wrong. The branch is bent too far. The tension is building. It can’t hold forever.
And then comes Twang!
The twig snaps back, flinging our heroic band of robbers out towards the corners of the painting. And the berry? That shoots off in the opposite direction, spinning away into the unknown.
Whether the mice recover their prize is, of course, another story entirely…
And the background colour? In keeping with the other paintings in this triptych, ‘Twang!’ keeps the familiar Barrow & Fall ‘Mere Green’— a deep, luxurious aqua that captures the crisp clarity of a frosty morning.
For the final painting in this release, Ann returned once more to the hare — but not without a sense of history.
Long-time collectors may remember Rainbow Hare #2, a piece from several years ago that struck a chord at the time. Its rich reds and dusky marigold tones stayed with us, as did the response it received. It was one of those paintings that quietly proved its place.
Fresh from the challenge of Morag’s Munchin’, and still in the spirit of experimentation, Ann decided to revisit that earlier energy — but this time in oils rather than acrylics. The result feels both familiar and new.
The finished painting shows a young hare sitting upright to greet a softly diffused sunrise. The long night has passed; the dew begins to lift; warmth returns. In time, the hare will dry.
Hare, Dryer.
The background for Hare, dryer… was always destined to be a rich mixture, using multiple hues in-keeping with the original inspiration. Somewhere in here, we see ‘Indian Yellow’, ‘Atomic Red’ and ‘Marigold’.
The image below, shows how we’re framing Original Artworks for this collection. We’re having work float-mounted over a matte background of midnight blue. There’s then a small gap before we get to a fillet of distressed & antique’d effect brass. That allows the blue backboard to show through along with the natural shadows cast by the artwork itself. It’s a beautiful solution. As for the actual moulding, we’re using a gently contoured, inward-sloping moulding in matte-black. We consider this the ideal solution to best support these expressive slabs of colour and allow them to ‘sing’.
If you’d like to see The Wylde Ones (and us) in person, this winter offers plenty of chances to visit.
Our only trading stint throughout January is an early booking at the Swindon Designer Outlet at the end of the month and we’ll be taking the rest of February off to recharge the old batteries. Once we get back into the groove, we’ll be splitting our time between the Outlet and Cirencester’s Corn Hall, where you’ll find The Wylde Ones in all their lively glory.
Upcoming Dates
Whether you’re planning a visit or browsing from home, we’d love you to see what’s new. Every piece — from the smallest print to the largest canvas — is made with the same care and attention we’d hope to find as collectors ourselves.
Thank You!
Thanks for staying with us to the end of this newsletter.
Well, here we are — the next wave of The Wylde Ones is out in the world!
It’s been nine months since we first introduced the collection, and the response has truly surprised us — in the best possible way. You’ve been extraordinary in your support through a time of enormous change, when technology is reshaping not just how art is made, but how it’s valued. In an age where so much feels uncertain, it means the world to know that Ann’s hand-painted work — created with care, intention, and soul — still speaks to you.
Finally, our heartfelt thanks to you all. Your support and patience over the years have been immense, and we couldn’t do any of this without you. Let’s keep that light shining.
