Young artist from S.C. wins award at Wildlife Artist of the Year 2026

South Carolina wildlife artist Matthew VanDoodewaard has recently won the Youth Exclusive Award in the 2026 Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, presented by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF).

VanDoodewaard received the award for ‘Black Death,’ (right) a striking watercolor depicting a Cape buffalo, which was exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London as part of the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2026 exhibition.

A second work by VanDoodewaard, ‘Lonely’, was also selected as a finalist and included in the exhibition.

The 2026 competition received 1,496 entries from 60 countries. The Youth Exclusive Award is specifically for artists aged 15–19 and is judged by a separate panel. The award is presented in memory of Ingrid Beazley.

The 2026 winners were announced at the awards ceremony at Mall Galleries in London on Sept. 8.

VanDoodewaard is a self-taught wildlife artist from South Carolina who works primarily in traditional watercolour, pen and ink, and other traditional media. His work is inspired by wildlife and landscapes across North America and Europe.

More on VanDoodewaard at SCUpstateArt.com.