Sue Lawley's guest this week is the wildlife artist David Shepherd.

Rejected from the Slade Art School on the grounds of having 'no talent whatsoever' he was taught to paint by a man he met at a cocktail party who told him "you're going to be painting for the Inland Revenue, the Gas Board and the school fees." Famed now for his paintings of elephants, he is one of the best-selling artists in the world.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Symphony No. 8 by Gustav Mahler