Art by Robert Bateman

[LaFille]

Self-portrait with Big Machine and Ancient Sitka (1993, acrylic)

About Bateman

Born in Toronto, Robert Bateman has been a keen artist and naturalist from his early days. He has always painted wildlife and nature, beginning with a representational style, moving through impressionism and cubism to abstract expressionism. In his early thirties he moved back to realism as a more suitable way to express the particularity of the planet. It is this style that has made him one of the foremost artists depicting the world of nature.

In the '70s and early '80s, Bateman's work began to receive critical acclaim and to attract an enormous following. His work is in many public and private collections and several art museums. He was commissioned by the Governor-General of Canada to create a painting as the wedding gift for HRH The Prince Charles from the people of Canada. His work is also represented in the collection of HRH The Prince Philip, the late Princess Grace of Monaco and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. Bateman has had many one-man museum shows throughout North America, including an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.; most of these shows have drawn record-breaking crowds. His honors, awards and honorary doctorates are numerous; he was made Officer of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award. He was awarded the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. He has also been the subject of three films and several video productions. Three books of his art, The Art of Robert Bateman, The World of Robert Bateman, and Robert Bateman: An Artist in Nature, have made publishing history. A fourth book of his art, Robert Bateman: Natural Worlds, focuses on the importance of natural and cultural heritage. Safari, an illustrated book for young readers, contains firsthand accounts and interesting facts about African wildlife. The book, Thinking Like a Mountain, details Bateman's environmental philosophies and observations and includes pencil sketches throughout.

It is in honor of his contribution to art and conservation that both a public school and a secondary school in Canada have been named after him. With a degree in geography from the University of Toronto, Bateman taught high school for 20 years, including two years in Nigeria. He traveled around the world in a Land Rover in 1957/58, increasing his appreciation of cultural and natural heritage. Since leaving teaching in 1976 to paint full time, he has traveled widely with his wife, Birgit, to many remote natural areas.

Bateman's art reflects his commitment to ecology and preservation. Since the early '60s, he has been an active member of naturalist clubs and other conservation organizations. This involvement has increased in recent years and is now on a global scale. He has become a spokesman for many environmental and preservation issues and has used his artwork and limited edition prints in fund-raising efforts which have provided millions of dollars for these worthy causes. He says, "I can't conceive of anything being more varied and rich and handsome than the planet Earth. And its crowning beauty is the natural world. I want to soak it up, to understand it as well as I can, and to absorb it. And then I'd like to put it together and express it in my painting. This is the way I want to dedicate my work."


Here is a link to his painting website: www.robertbateman.ca/index.html
He also wrote essays on the philosophies of the 20th century; here is a link to some: www.batemanideas.com/
I hope you'll enjoy his works. He did really a lot of great pieces.
He's generous enough to give comments, bits of information and interesting facts with quite each of his paintings, in addition to provide his fans with a lot of insight about is art and techniques.

About the painting above, he writes:

This shows a back view of me with my hand on an enormous tree stump with a big machine behind my head. It is quite a large painting owned by the Victoria Art Gallery.

When the Artists for Nature Foundation was started, the idea came from the Carmanah Project, where a number of environmental organizations such as the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, brought artists into the Carmanah valley to paint before it was logged. The biggest Sitka Spruce in the world were growing there. This is the first time in the history of the world that a group of artists saved a significant ecosystem of the planet. A Dutch friend of ours, who is a nature artist impresario heard about it and thought it was a good idea. He founded the Artists for Nature Foundation. The first major project was the one in Poland.

We headed into the Carmanah valley for the painting session, past all the hideous clear cutting that was going on which was why we were urgently trying to save it. We had to go along the logging road to the end of the area and past this huge Sitka spruce that had been cut down. I show that picture in almost all of my talks as it was an old tree when Christopher Columbus came to America - and what is it now . . . junk mail or 2 X 4’s?

We don’t need junk mail, but we do need 2 X 4’s. People might be surprised when an environmentalist is in favour of logging, loggers, and logging communities. I am, but not the way we are doing it now. They have actually gotten rid of jobs in the logging sector because of the big machines. It is not the environmentalists and other noble things that are taking away jobs, but the over capitalization of the logging industry; that is also putting some logging companies in debt to buy these great big machines. My painting is really an attack on the kind of logging that we do.

[LaFille]

From his 1987 Retrospective "Portraits of Nature" (May 1, 2002 to November 30, 2003):

Dozing Lynx (1987, acrylic)



"The lynx is an animal of mystery. Although they are relatively common within their range, they are very seldom seen in the wild. They are mostly nocturnal hunters, and they can move quite silently. The lynx has excellent eyesight and, with their large ears, they have wonderful hearing. If they are out and about in daylight, they'll notice you first and keep out of sight.

A lynx can be distinguished from a bobcat by its long ear tufts, generous side whiskers, gray colour and oversized feet. Its big, soft feet are, of course, for walking on snow without sinking in.

My painting shows the lynx in a late evening's tranquil moment at the entrance to a cave. It is at peace - lightly dozing prior to its night hunt. As I painted, I felt that the icicles and the lynx were like an oriental carving in alabaster or light jade. "

This one is a favorite of mine.


Passing Fancy – Lion Cubs and Rhino (1992, acrylic)



"One of the great things about lions is their collegiality. The family groups have a wonderful sense of companionship. This is perhaps best exemplified among the adolescents. They are similar in many ways to another gregarious mammal, Homo Sapiens.

Teenagers enjoy hanging around together. Sometimes they play fight, sometimes they just lounge and other times they join in some challenge to test their metal. Young lions might tackle a warthog, or try to access a tortoise for example. In this case they have heard a sound and viewed a shape moving behind the bushes, just a dash away. When they see that the shape is a black rhino they realize that any hope of a successful attack, even by three, brave, young lions is only a passing fancy."

[LaFille]

Still from his "Portraits of nature" retrospective:

Sudden Blizzard – Red-tailed Hawk
(1985, acrylic)


"This is a picture of a storm -- a sudden blizzard. I enjoy all kinds of weather, depending, of course, on my activity. Sunny skies are fine for a little while, then, I long for some clouds. I like fog and rain and even storms. An exhilarating thing to do is to go for a hike in a blizzard . . . properly attired, of course. You know then that you live in the real world where nature is in command. Too often in our society we have built impermeable screens between us and the planet earth. We live in climate-controlled apartments, offices and vehicles. We watch nature on television. I think that it is very important to keep in touch with the sights, sounds, smells and feeling of the real earth, even if it means some discomfort. In fact, pushing our senses a bit helps us to realize that we are truly alive.

I saw that a blizzard was starting one particular winter day, so I put on my parka and boots and headed out to experience it. It was one of those sudden squall line storms that accompanies a cold front and hits hard and fast. Very exciting! Big splats of snowflakes soon plastered my clothes and skin. I could hardly breathe, and when I did, I was breathing in snow. I hiked to my favourite pine tree which was also being plastered with the heavy, wet particles. The tree had already been sculptured by the prevailing northwest wind. It was full of dynamic rhythm, even on a still, windless day. Now the storms and the weight of the snow pushed it even further in the same direction. The lee side had not yet received the snow.

In this painting, I wanted to portray a storm rather than a bird or a tree. I wanted you to feel the pressure of the snow-laden atmosphere. Air is not ‘nothing’; it is a reality which can be physically very imposing. I tried the flying hawk in many places in the composition and found the most exciting place, just about to be blown out of the lower left. He made a mistake taking flight in such a storm. Perhaps he was caught by its suddenness on an exposed perch. He is in a lot of trouble but may be able to turn and beat his way upwind to the shelter of the lee side of the tree."

I love this one.


Cardinal in Sumac



"One of the ideas behind "Cardinal and Sumac" was inspired by a Smithsonian Museum display of an authentic east Indian village, complete with villagers going about their daily business. I was strolling through when, all of a sudden, a villager wearing a flaming red turban walked past a rich terra cotta-coloured wall. I was struck by the red-on-red vision -- it just sizzled. I knew then I would someday paint a cardinal in sumac. "

[LaFille]

Temagami Mist (1990, acrylic)



"Since I was very young, pines have played a strong part in my feeling for nature. Our family would go for Sunday afternoon hikes in nearby woods and the sight of the white pines on the hilltops as well as the sound of the wind song through their boughs gave me a sense of serenity combined with mystery.

As a young painter, I would often select the rhythmic dark patterns of the white pines as I prowled the countryside, looking for subject matter. The red pines came into my consciousness a few years later in some of the more northern ecosystems. With this as a background, I was delighted to learn that a significant area of old growth, white and red pines, had survived the loggers' saws.

I flew in a small aircraft to the Temagami area of northern Ontario to view these giants. This bird's-eye view shows not only the great trees, but a bald eagle and canoe trippers. If the pines can be saved for their own sake they will provide protection of a precious area for endless future generations of bald eagles and canoe trippers."


White on White - Snowshoe Hare



"The snowshoe hare is a classic animal of the boreal forest. Its range is virtually the same as the northern wilderness. In fact, even its coat is perfectly suited to the land that is for half the year covered with snow. In the summer it is a warm brown which blends in perfectly with the humus and coniferous needles of the forest floor. In winter its coat is, of course, white which provides camouflage and protection from the predators. This season change of colour gives it its other name, "varying hare".

This painting presented a challenge. In order to make the animal stand out, the logical place to put it would have been in front of the dark vegetation, but I though it would be more interesting to paint the hare as nature had intended it - white against white. This gave me little tonal room to maneuver and show all the form and textures on the hair."

Haida Spirit



"On a visit to the Queen Charlotte Islands, a Haida elder guided my wife, Birgit, and me to a secluded spot on a calm bay where Bill Reid's canoe sat at a lonely anchorage. Reid, a pioneer who did so much to revive the ancient forms of Haida art, directed the hollowing of the 50 foot canoe from a single ancient red cedar according to traditional designs and following the traditional method. It was the first of its kind in almost one hundred years. Powered by 20 Haida paddlers on an epic 558 mile journey from Vancouver to Skidegate, it truly earned its name, Loo Taas (Wave Eater).
Seeing the canoe was, for me, a kind of spiritual experience. And although there was no raven present that day, in my mind's eye, I saw a raven. To the Haida, the raven is a wily trickster-transformer who created the world, and I could see him, hovering over the canoe perfectly centered. "

[LaFille]

Ok, last ones from this exhibition before passing to others.

Winter Trackers – Coyote (1991, acrylic)



"Unlike most large predators, coyotes have adapted well to the human presence. Originally a western species, they have expanded their range north as far as the arctic, south as far as the northern part of South America, and east as far as New England. When I was a boy, there were no coyotes in the ravines of Toronto. Now, I gather, they are fairly common. They are seldom seen near human habitation, however, since they are alert, nimble, and usually quite shy. And though their habitat has expanded, coyotes seem most of all creatures of the open prairie, where their song - a series of sharp yelps followed by a high-pitched howl - often pierces the nocturnal stillness."


At Mahale – Chimpanzees (2000, acrylic)



"I first visited Africa in the 1950's at about the same time that Jane Goodall began her work with chimpanzees. Like millions of others I followed her career through the National Geographic magazine and television specials. Her life and work changed the way we see animals, especially our closest relatives, and the way we see ourselves. She brought sensitivity and compassion to the clear eye of science, therefore, my wife Birgit and I feel very fortunate that we have had several opportunities to spend time with her when she has been visiting our home area. More than once she has asked me why so few artists, more particularly Robert Bateman, have ever painted chimps. The explanation might lie in the fact that they have been so "used" as a comic object that they, through no fault of their own, have a trite and silly image. Gorillas seem not to have suffered this same fate; they have an image of power and dignity.

Before I did my chimp painting I wanted to experience them in the wild and to see their habitat. I needed an "idea", a feeling and a sense of time, place and composition. The chance came on a trip to the Mahale Mountains along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, about 200 kilometres south of Jane’s study area at Gombe Stream. Sadly, the Gombe area has been almost ruined by the wars around Rwanda and the Congo and the devastating impact of thousands of refugees. But the Mahale Mountains have been set aside as a park and are still in a virtually pristine state.

Although our time with the chimps was in bright sunlight, I chose a subdued green, filtered light to symbolize their forest world. Green is a spiritual colour for me and so I tried to depict this group with dignity, yet a sense of social relationship and family. "


Ocean Rhapsody – Orca (1999, acrylic)



"Like wolves, killer whales have a special place in the hearts and imaginations of humans. Deep down we may realize the kinship. Although we belong to three different types of mammals, wolves, whales and humans have evolved as killers. We can be completely ruthless with other species in order to provide food for ourselves. Unlike humans, wolves and whales seldom kill their own kind. We three species are social animals that are very intelligent, communicative, teach our young and have complex family attachments and group activities. The big mystery to me is that in spite of our abuse and threats to wolves and whales, they have almost never picked on us. They could kill us easily but they evidently don't want to hurt us.

Another damaging thing we as a species are doing to killer whales is over-fishing. In large areas of Alaska where sea otters have been most abundant, their numbers are plummeting. Between the 1970's and 1990's otter numbers dropped from 53,000 to 6,000! This is because the seals and sea lions, an important prey of the killer whales are running out of fish and their numbers are in steep decline. Killer whales, being intelligent, opportunistic creatures have changed their hunting habits to prey on sea otters that formerly were so small as to be snack food. With sea otters getting scarcer, sea urchin populations are booming. Sea urchins eat kelp, particularly the holdfasts that fasten the great kelp beds to the sea floor. This means that kelp 'forests' are being depleted which takes away sea otter shelter and makes them more vulnerable to killer whales.

The kelp forests are also important breeding grounds and shelter for marine fishes. This, in turn, exacerbates the problem of over-fishing. Nature is not only more important than we know, it is more important than we can know. We make major changes in it at our peril!

I live on the Pacific coast with its mighty forests of Douglas fir, red cedar, hemlock and other trees. However, equally close to our house is a forest of another kind. This is the mighty kelp forest (Nereocystis luetkeana - 10' to 100' in length, edible). From my studio I can see, just breaking the surface, the floating bulbs of the bull kelp. When some is broken loose in a storm and washed ashore, it looks like great, translucent, tapered, amber plastic tubes, yards long, with a bulbous end mounted with very long, wavy fronds. High and dry they look sad and stranded but under water they are visually among the most exciting plants in the world, not to mention one of the largest seaweeds. They wave and undulate in constantly changing patterns like a kaleidoscope. The sun glows through them so it seems they are lit from within. They are always graceful. Their rhythms immediately bring to mind masterpieces of 'art nouveau'. I have snorkeled and scuba-dived through and around these kelp forests. It is always as visually thrilling as a visit to an art museum.

This is why I have featured the bull kelp with its subsurface epiphyte in this painting. It is an important and overlooked natural world and it is beautiful. In the hazy distance a killer whale swims by. Although I have not actually seen this while scuba diving, the hairs stand up at the back of my head at the thought of it."




Warning! The last one may be a little harsh for very sensible people. It is a vulture feeding on some bull-like head, not something that I think is unsuitable, but I'll link to the picture instead of posting it directly here nonetheless.

Though the image isn't to be a very pleasant one for the eye, I find that Bateman has a very important point with this one (that's what art is about, too , so I couldn't not post it. Vulture and Wildebeest

[Shan]

Yuck, that vulture painting is.......... uh, uh, gross. I thought I liked wierd art and some that is pretty gross, but I don't like that one at all.

Bateman does great work though. Even his vulture one was well done, but it was still gross. I love the snow bunny one. It is sooooooooo cute. I also really like the coyote one and the self portrait one alot. I think those are my favorites.

Great find Fille. I also love the postings along with the pics.

Shan

[LaFille]

Yuck, that vulture painting is.......... uh, uh, gross. I thought I liked wierd art and some that is pretty gross, but I don't like that one at all.

Bateman does great work though. Even his vulture one was well done, but it was still gross.

I agree that it's not a beautiful one. ;D But I think that he hits fair with his motives.

The balance of nature is a story of life and death. Virtually all living organisms depend on other organisms for food; in most cases, when something is eaten, its life must end.

Even the building of our homes or the printing of our newspapers involves the death of trees and sometimes whole forests. Too often we refuse to face this fact. We buy our meat neatly packaged in plastic; in fact, our entire lives seem to be done up in neat packages. We are often simply consumers, with less and less involvement in the real world, decision making, or the consequences of our actions.

Especially with mass agriculture and breeding. It makes us forget all that it takes to grow plants and trees, and in a sense their real value; on one side it avoids most individuals to get their hands and minds stained by having to kill to eat, it makes of it a kind of taboo, it creates the conditions for inimaginable spoiling; and on the other side the majority of the cattle and flocks are treated and managed miserably. Too often we close our eyes on this.

I love the snow bunny one. It is sooooooooo cute. I also really like the coyote one and the self portrait one alot. I think those are my favorites.

Great find Fille. I also love the postings along with the pics.

Shan

Hehe, yeah, the snowy hares are beautiful. Most of these animals who change of color in the winter are actually not very pretty when they're on their other color, a kind of darkish brown (snowy hares, arctic foxes, ermines); but they're gorgeous in white.

I added his comments on the coyote painting; they were not on his website, but they were on an associated gallery. This guy has really made a lot of pieces, and those on his site are only a fraction of it.

[LaFille]

New exhibition gallery; Tryon show, London, 1975.

Polar Bears at Baffin Island



“Polar bears age generally loners. They seldom co-operate on the kill, and mated pairs are rarely seen together. The female, however, will spend a long time with her one or two cubs, giving them lessons of the hunt. Sometimes the young bear can be almost as big as its mother before it goes out on its own.

“In this painting, I have been gazing into the landscape which is the direction I want the viewer to gaze. Three-dimensional form is important in all of my paintings, but I especially enjoyed playing with it in this one. I would like the viewer to be carried back across the pack ice, past the sea mist and up the rugged valley. As we move up the valley, we explore waterfalls, cliffs and concave and convex slopes.

“Finally, we reach the top and the permanent ice cap, which has formed into a massive, simple sculpture.”


Demidov’s Galago



“For two years I taught high school geography in southeast Nigeria. It was a remarkable experience not only because of the high scholastic demands of the students and the rich and complex West African culture, but also because of the natural environment of the tropical rainforest. Since I was a boy I had been reading the entertaining animal collecting stories of Gerald Durrell. Perhaps my favourite was the Bafut Beagles, which took place in the Cameroons.

“We lived in the same habitat about a day's drive from Bafut.
As soon as I was established and had got my bearings of the local area, I sent word out to the nearby villages that I would pay money for small wildlife. Most of these went to the collection of the Carleton University Museum but some went to the Bronx Zoo Small Animal House. The most spectacular of these were the bush babies.

“There are a number of species of bush baby (6 genera, 16 species). Ours was the seldom seen Demidov's galago. If we humans are at the ‘top’ of the primate family tree then lemurs are at the evolutionary ‘bottom’. Demidov's galago is the smallest member of ‘our’ family. A full grown adult would nicely fill a teacup. We had five of them and although they lived in cages we would take them out one at a time to play around the room and around us. They would scamper over our heads and poke their fingers in our ears, which resulted in a sticky feeling. Afterwards I learned that, being nocturnal, they would find their way back to their nest in the forest canopy by urinating on their hands and feet on their way out, and that is why they were sticky. I have shown this one eyeing a large tropical beetle which it may or may not succeed in catching.”

That little one is so cute. I find the end of Bateman's little story with this specie hilarious. ;D


Rhino and Oxpecker

[Shan]

Fille, I love Demidov’s Galago. That little guy is the cutest thing.

I agree the story is great. So funny. Want a sticky finger in your ear? ;D:)


This one is cute too. Rhino and Oxpecker
It took me a moment before I noticed the little bird.

[LaFille]

The little critter might be even cutest in real; the adults being able to stand in a cup of tea. But no, no, no sticky fingers in the ears or most everywhere else, thank you. ;D

Oxpeckers live in a of mutualist association with some great herbivorous mammals; they feed on the parasits on the skin of the rhinos/oxes/whatever, who tolerate them standing and moving on them. That way the big mammals are relieved while the oxpeckers fill their stomach.
Bateman seems to like puting subjects where they don't catch the eye at first glance.

Continuing with the Tryon Show.

Baobab Tree & Impala



“Sculptural forms in nature visually excite me. The trunk of this baobab tree reminds me of a great castle or a piece of mountainous landscape. The textures are varied and interesting and reflect the events that have taken place in the life of the tree.”

Leopard & Thomson Gazelle Kill



“This scene of the leopard with its Thomson gazelle prey was one I actually witnessed. In all of my trips to Africa, I have only once seen an actual kill, although I have been present after the fact on a number of occasions. Witnessing a leopard making a kill would be very difficult since they hunt mostly at night in areas of thick cover.

“This particular kill would not have been typical as Thomson gazelles generally avoid thick cover. They in fact prefer broad, short-grassed plains not only for the food, but also so that they can see approaching predators. Either this kill was made at night or the Thomson gazelle was very foolish and came too close to the thick vegetation along the river where the leopard was lurking.

“The leopard has hauled its prey up into the tree to keep it away from hyenas and lions that would be all too eager to steal it. As often happens, the predator is in no rush to eat. The activity of catching the prey and dragging it to safety is usually exhausting.

“This is a quiet, benign scene. I wanted to emphasize tranquility rather than a mood of vicious killing. There is, however, tension and mistrust still in the leopard's eyes.”

[LaFille]

Cheetah Siesta



In the big-game country of Africa I am always aware of the huge, overpowering, blue sky, especially at places like the Amboseli plain in southern Kenya, shown here in Cheetah Siesta. I wanted to feel the presence of the sky in this picture, but I had to be persuaded by my wife, Birgit, that I could put the horizon as low as it is and still have room for the cheetah and the plain. I also had to resist the temptation to let more tall grasses stretch across the horizon, or to introduce a cruising vulture in the distant sky. By leaving it empty, the sky becomes as strong a force in the picture as the cheetah itself.

Pride of Lions at Samburu



Wildebeest at Sunset



"One evening in Amboseli Park in Kenya, on our way back to camp we saw in the setting sun a big herd of wildebeests drawing together for the night. I was impressed by the mellowness of the mood and by the light and color - a kind of liquid gold over everything just before the sun dropped below the horizon. When I was doing the painting, I experimented with different sizes and places for the sun; finally I put it just off the classic dynamic point of the rectangle of the painting."

[LaFille]

Diversities exhibition; Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2000

Silent Witness - Timber Wolf (acrylic, 1999)



"The Canadian Pre-Cambrian Shield has always held a special allure for me. It goes back to the very roots of time. The ancient rocks tell a story of the great forces of the earth. They have been sculpted by rivers and glaciers into a rugged landscape. This ruggedness has, until recent decades, formed a barrier to human development and therefore has been the bastion of wilderness by definition.

I am endlessly fascinated by the sculptural forms of bedrock. The embellishment of surface textures by erosion and those pioneers of life, the lichens, increase the rich feast for the eye.

In this case I have added the patches of snow turned to ice, which indicates a late winter thaw and refreezing. The wolf, another symbol of our northern wilderness is hesitating to step out from the shelter of the cliff."

Painted Dogs (acrylic, 1999)



"Painted dog is the recent name for this remarkable animal that used to be called ‘wild dog’ or ‘Cape hunting dog’. I like the name because it describes the kind of random patch pattern of their coats, which is similar to the coat of a "painted" pony or "pinto".

In a way, it fits with their behaviour and social structure, which is active and complex. To watch them is to watch a lively society in action. Their playfulness covers an intense competition for social position and also reinforces connectedness and communication skills that make them the most dreaded hunters in Africa. That is, they are the most dreaded by the prey species. The dogs are relentless in pursuit and use strategy based on co-operation and relationships.

In the painting I have tried to echo the qualities of these dogs in the bouncy, varied patterns of the palms."

By the River - Elephants (acrylic, 1999)

[Shan]

Great pics Fille. I love the leopard in the tree and the one with the wolf in it. Those are my favorites out of this batch.

I really need to get back into making papers. I am collecting to many pics. I doubt I will ever work my way through all of them. I would love to make one with the leopard.

[Paramite 5]

Wow, The Coyote, the chimp and the white on white are spectacular. Thanks for introducing me Lafille, I'm looking up Robert as I type. He's a very detailed artist

[LaFille]

shantara said:

Great pics Fille. I love the leopard in the tree and the one with the wolf in it. Those are my favorites out of this batch.

I really need to get back into making papers. I am collecting to many pics. I doubt I will ever work my way through all of them. I would love to make one with the leopard.

Yeah, the leopard in the tree is cool. It's really amazing how these creatures can climb big preys like that up into the trees; I even have a picture where one pulled up a boar.
I love the Silent Witness one too; the Canadian shield and these landscapes are where I come from.

If you want to turn the leopard painting into a paper, you might want to check on art galleries' websites, they'll likely have pictures of it in brighter colors.
I gathered so many images too lately, I'm not eager to the day when I'll decide to clean and make room in my PC again... ;D

paramite said:

Wow, The Coyote, the chimp and the white on white are spectacular. Thanks for introducing me Lafille, I'm looking up Robert as I type. He's a very detailed artist

I'm glad you like his paintings. What there is on his website is only a fraction of his works; This gallery has a lot more.

Great ava, BTW.

[LaFille]

From the same exhibition:

Hindu Temple & Tiger (acrylic, 1999)



"The tiger, the great cat of Asia, is a symbol of life and strength. Unlike the gregarious lion, the tiger lives a solitary and secretive life. Yet, because he can be so dangerous, this elusive quality only adds to his air of mystery and seems to give him mystical powers. Tragically, this attribute has proved to be his undoing. Certain Asian cultures believe that the tiger's body parts will instill a variety of benefits in human beings . . . the most sought after being virility.

This belief, when put into practice, has always meant the slaughter of tigers. In recent years, the practice has grown from local folk medicine to modern marketing, modern weapons and international trade. The result: tiger populations are in a tailspin to oblivion.

Seeing a tiger in the wild is still a possibility in a handful of nature reserves, especially in India. Even here, tigers are poached, and the environment is being destroyed by human population pressures. Tigers are never easy to see.

My wife, Birgit, and I set out to find tigers in the wild in Rhanthambhore, a spectacular park in Rajasthan (formerly "Rajputana") in northwest India. Great mountainous plateaus sliced by rugged ravines make a perfect habitat for the Bengal tiger. For the people of this forest, the tiger was once the most powerful representation of nature that walked the earth, symbolizing its forces as both the giver and taker of life.

We spent several days looking for tigers there in vain. As I said, they are not like lions. While exploring the ruins of the Hindu kingdom, we came upon a little lake with a small temple perched perfectly on a peninsula. We were there at midday, but in my mind's eye, I saw it at dawn, or by moonlight, or perhaps twilight. There could be a tiger, emerging from the shelter of the temple, looking out over the lake. There must have been a tiger there, at that spot, at some time through the centuries, but not when we were there to see it. "

Rockface Descent – Leopard (acrylic, 1999



"There is something about felines that hold a fascination for human beings. Perhaps it is their mystery and grace. Perhaps it is the fact that our primate ancestors greatly feared this quiet predator of the night. Many aspects of our forebears’ lives that made sense for millennia are still a part of our modern psyche.

This painting grows out of those feelings. If you or I were close enough to see this leopard plunge down this cliff, it would be only seconds before the animal would be upon you. I wanted to instill a feeling of discomfort, partly by the unstable plunging action and partly by the proximity, made closer by cutting off the back part and forepaw of the leopard . . . almost as if he is inside your peripheral vision. The other aspect that excited me was the effort to portray the grace and power of the cat through the muscle, bone and sinew showing beneath the familiar glowing pelt.

The idea for the painting came from seeing a large abstract by Clyfford Still, which I saw at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, in 1980. There was a yellow, vertical slash across a flat brown ground. At that time I had no idea it would be a leopard dashing down grey rocks. It is interesting to speculate on the joining in my psyche of the ancestral dread of leopards and abstract image of Clyfford Still."

Out of Range – Lion & Zebras (acrylic, 1999)



"Dust is part of the world in many of the best game viewing places on the planet. Semi-dry tropical climates seem to support the kind of grassland that in turn forms the fodder for grazing herds. In the case of Africa, these herds usually come with their dependent predators.

Lions are called the "King of the Beasts" because they are at the top of this food chain. The males are not necessarily great hunters but they are impressive to look at. This is not superficial; their appearance has a purpose. They are there to protect the pride composed mostly of females and young. Although the male lion is a formidable fighter, it is far better to avoid fighting; if this can be done through bluff and demeanour, so much the better. A simple fighting injury can cost a life. The two main fighting functions of male lions is to keep hyenas away and to drive off rival males.

The lion in this painting is not charging to make a zebra kill. If he was, his head would be down and he would be moving much faster. He is running, head held high to impress, towards another male who is trying to move in to his territory. The zebras also are running but not going full speed. They are simply keeping a safe distance between themselves and a moving lion. It was an interesting challenge to paint this action in the world of dust."

[Shan]

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooo, I love the one entitled Hindu Temple and Tiger. That is sooooo cool. Looks like another paper to me. ;D

Sounds like a good idea about checking the colors especially for papers. Will send you what I decide on in paper form.

I also came across the male lion with the cub sitting on its back today and it reminded me of the paper I wanted to make of it. Now let's see what kind of effect Photoshop can give me. Should be interesting because there are some different ones in it.

[LaFille]

Oh yes, I look forward seeing what you come up with. I should get into making a couple of papers too, you give me the taste. ;D

From his exhibition A Portfolio, Gerald Peter's gallery, Santa Fe, 2004.

Moose in Moonlight



"On a moonlit night, the bull moose pauses at a swampy lake. Because it is rutting season, he is very on edge. He turns suddenly, perhaps he has heard something. To me, the upturned spruce root echoes his antlers."

Mesa Verde – Coyote



"The great pueblo cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde are one of the most spiritual places I have visited. The whole area has a mystical presence in the same category of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and Ise, the centre of Shinto in Japan. Although much is known about the vanished Anasazi peoples who created that world, mystery still remains.

The coyote has been a legendary creature for the native people of the southwest. It is familiar yet elusive, a cunning and intelligent survivor.

I wanted to give this painting an almost surreal feeling with the glancing afternoon light and the coyote staring at the empty doorway. Perhaps he can see the spirit of the vanished people."

Grizzly Portrait



"It is sometimes enjoyable for an artist to explore the variety of textures on an animal. Every square inch of the natural world is unique and particular, including the head of this grizzly. "

[Shan]

Mesa Verde – Coyote - another great one. I love the colors and the detail in this one. There is also something about the place that draws me to it. Looks like he is in some kind of ruins.

I think it might make a coll paper also. Will have some time this weekend, I think, to try out a few of these. Looks like more fun.

[LaFille]

From now on I'll post miscellaneous of his paintings (that is, not by specific exhibition).

That is one I love a lot:
Tiger at Dusk (1998, acrylic)



"This painting was done as a fundraiser for CITES (the Convection on International Trade in Endangered Species).
Although habitat destruction is the overwhelming reason for the extinction of species, trade in endangered animals and plants is literally the straw that breaks the camel's back. Increasingly in our troubled times, money talks and business acts, for good or evil.
The poverty stricken people who live in the environment of some of the most precious wildlife are sorely tempted by sums of money offered by dealers and middlemen for whole animals or even animal parts.

For some strange reason certain cultures believe tiger parts make potent medicine for various ailments and conditions. One kilogram of tiger bone can fetch $2000. Even the blood, meat and whiskers are sold. One skin could attain the price of $15,000.
This, combined with the power of Russian mafia drug dealers, Chinese smugglers and professional well-armed poachers, makes a formidable force of doom facing the Siberian tiger. Many international organizations including CITES are trying to stop this dreadful trade but they are outfunded and outgunned. They need all the support that people of conscience can give them."

Great Blue Heron in the Rain (2003, acrylic)



"This painting was done for the David Shepherd Conservation Foundation"

Wide Horizon – Tundra Swans (1990, acrylics)



"The tundra swan is a recent name given to the whistling swan; the new name is far more appropriate. First of all, these birds do not whistle. Their cry is a kind of sonorous, clarion-like yodel; secondly, they do live entirely on the tundra regions of North America during the breeding seasons.
The tundra is truly the area of wide, open spaces. It is, by definition, the botanical region which is too cold, too exposed or has too short a growing season to support the existence of proper trees. I have seen relatively ancient willows and spruce, not much larger than a band spread upon the ground, flattened by the wind. The tundra is an area of unobstructed views and big skies. Distant objects may be seen quite clearly, and this is exactly the way the tundra swan likes it. When standing fully erect, the swan's head is almost four feet above the ground, making it perhaps the tallest object in all directions -- a great advantage in detecting predators.

In this painting, I have shown the male standing guard and the female sheltering the downy, newly hatched cygnets. Since the purpose of this painting is for conservation and environmental work, I wanted to show the "on guard" stance and the hope embodied in the coming generation. My other goal was to depict the breathtaking sense of distance one feels in the wide horizons of the Arctic."