Keith Shackleton is a past President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, a founder member and past President of the Society of Wildlife Artists and past Chairman of the Artists' League of Great Britain. Before turning to painting full-time he served five years in the RAF in Europe and the Far East, and painted war scenes with the Army and Naval Coastal Forces. After the war he joined the family aviation business as a salesman and pilot, an occupation that lasted fifteen years and provided further travel opportunities. Once he gave up his aviation commitments to become a full-time painter he joined the Johnny Morris BBC television series 'Animal Magic'. At this time he also illustrated 'Birds of the Atlantic Ocean', 'A Sailor's Guide to Ocean Birds', 'Wild Animals in Britain' and wrote and illustrated innumerable articles for wildlife and yachting magazines.