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Pets are charming. The English country side is charming. Together they are
disarming, combined and in the art of Jessica Holm. Even more interesting is
that, in America, Holm is known for her quaint and pleasing images of animals
living in merrie old England, but in her home country, she is far more famous
as a television star. In fact, until recently her art had never been seen
outside her home except as illustrations on her wildlife educational television
shows.
Always the animal lover first, Holm was born in Shakespeare country—stratford
upon Avon—but grew up in London in a houseful of pets. Her devotion led to
years studying zoology at the Royal Holloway College of London University.
Little did she suspect that while working as a biotechnician at the Institute
of Terrestrial Ecology while completing her Ph.D. study on the behavior of red
squirrels, that her work would soon put her in show business. During four years
of solo fieldwork on the Isle of Wight, the venerable British Broadcasting
Company featured her squirrel studies on their popular Wildlife on One nature
program.
A star was born, helped along by her subsequent book on squirrels, as well as
many magazine articles. For years afterward, she remained a television
mainstay, hosting the BBC’s annual coverage of the Crufts Dog Show and the
national Cat Show, as well as making programs about the English countryside.
When not broadcasting, Holm has trained, worked, and shown dogs of various
breeds, including the first Italian Spinone to win gun-dog working test awards
in the U.K.
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