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" GAME OVER FOX AND MAPLE "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
12" x 15"$88
180 s/n Giclee Canvas 16" x 20"
$465
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| Although I don't consider myself an anecdotal painter, this one was too obvious to resist. In most of my paintings I construct a moment in time - a moment that could have happened. I had a number of references of foxes looking up. It was easy to add the tree and to imagine that a squirrel had ventured out across the snow, but made it up the trunk in the nick of time. Anyone who has taken their dog for a walk in the woods has been there in this potential little story. Robert Bateman |
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" GALLINULE
FAMILY "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
16" x 27"
$95
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"The
composition of this picture was inspired by Japanese art. I like the way the flamboyant iris leaves and flowers
create a pattern against the flat background of water."
Robert Bateman |
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" GENTOO
PENGUINS & WHALE BONES "
Robert Bateman
950
s/n Paper
20" x 32.75"
$575
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"The
two gentoo penguins huddle among great wrecks of whale bones,
colossal monuments that once were masters of the seas. The penguins give a sense of continuing life. They
will soon take to the sea for the coming winter, but the great
bones will stay as a testimony through the years."
Robert Bateman |
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" GIANT
EAGLE OWL "
SAPPI PORTFOLIO
Robert Bateman
550 s/n Paper
20" x 16 3/4"
$95
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Part
of the exclusive limited edition (550) "Sappi" portfolio. Money
generated from the sale of the portfolio go to the World Wildlife
Fund South Africa - Robert Bateman |
Paper
15.875" x 11.875"
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Original Lithograph
4" x 4"
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" GIANT
PANDA IN THE WILD "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper and Original Lithograph
Set of 2 $185
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"The
panda’s habitat, however, made me feel right at home. As we
climbed the narrow switchback trail that had begun in neatly
terraced fields, we entered a region of huge old-growth trees
covered with snow that had fallen the previous night. (The panda’s depend on these old trees for dens.) Many of the tree species - pine, fir, hemlock, larch
and birch - were familiar, as was the cool misty weather. Except for the dense bamboo thickets, I could almost
have been walking in an old-growth forest of the Pacific Northwest.
But above all, it is the bamboo under-story that makes these
mountain habitats the place for pandas. They
feed almost exclusively on this difficult-to-digest and nutrient-poor
plant. As descendents of the ancient
carnivore ancestor of modern bears, pandas lack the digestive
adaptations that might allow them to use their plant food to
the maximum, and so they compensate by eating constantly and
digesting quickly, on average eighteen pounds a day. To conserve energy, they generally sleep whenever they’re
not eating, but this still leaves them close to the edge of
malnutrition. When a species of bamboo
suddenly flowers and dies off - as it may do once in many years
- the panda population can drop catastrophically. This is a particular problem now that logging has cleared
the lower slopes, where different bamboo species provided an
alternate food source." Robert Bateman |
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" GOLDEN
EAGLE "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
20" x 32.75"
$353
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"Whether
in the Scottish highlands, the Rocky Mountains, or the Arctic,
the golden eagle is a bird of the big sky. Its
spectacular aerial acrobatics are the most impressive use of
wing and air." Robert Bateman |
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" GOLDEN
EAGLE PORTRAIT "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
7.25" x 8.75"
$355
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"The
golden eagle is one of the most widespread birds of prey. It is found from Alaska to Nova Scotia and down into
Mexico; and in the Old World, it is found from Scotland to eastern
Siberia and as far south as Morocco and Korea." Robert
Bateman |
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" GOLDEN
LIGHT BLACK TAILED FAWN "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
17.75" x 27"
$145
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"Caressed
by the sun’s golden glow, a young fawn explores its world, just
as its predecessors once did, beneath the towering fir trees
that stood where forgotten logs now lie." Robert
Bateman |
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" GOLDENEYE
PAIR "
Robert Bateman
1500 s/n Paper
13" x 10"
$68
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| In the winter, I always look forward to the coming of the migrants to the waters near our house. I like the dapper, dressed up look of the male goldeneyes. The females have a clean and handsome look as well. This image, viewing the birds from slightly above, is the perspective I have when I look at the wintering water birds with binoculars from our studio window. |
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" GOLDFINCH
IN THE MEADOW "
1600 s/n Paper
4.75" x 8.625"
$199
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"The
well-known goldfinch is a bird of open country and gardens. When I hear their gentle little twitter and see their
bounding flight, I am carried back in my imagination to the
bright summer days of my boyhood." Robert Bateman |
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" GOSHAWK "
Robert Bateman
290 s/n Original Lithograph
16" x 33.75"
$1295
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| The goshawk is an aristocrat among raptors. In flight, the goshawk makes a zigzag pattern, which I have imitated in this composition with the shape of the tree trunk and the branches. Original printmaking allows an artist to capture a variety of textures - the gnarled bark of the tree, the goshawk's plumage, the pine needles - with equal gusto. |
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" GRASSY
BANK - GREAT BLUE HERON "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
24.5" x 18.375"
$245
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"I
wanted this painting to convey this scene: a heron at a fishing
place by a small stream that has probably had its fill of minnows
and frogs and so has folded up into its resting pose." Robert
Bateman |
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" GREAT
BLUE HERON "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
17.5" x 23.5"
$655
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"This
elegant bird is the largest of the heron family. Over half of
its length is the head and neck, a well-designed javelin system. The gracefully folded neck can straighten with lightning
speed, aimed at a luckless frog or fish. With
a toss of the head, the prey is swallowed and the hunting pose
resumed." Robert Bateman |
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" GREAT
CRESTED GREBE "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
8.75" x 11.5"
$195
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"The
great crested grebe is one of the more spectacular European
water birds. I particularly enjoy their
strong color patterns and striking headdresses when I see them
on my trips to Britain and Europe." Robert Bateman |
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" GREAT
EGRET PREENING "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
30.5" x 19.5"
$435
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"I
have shown this egret taking care of its plumes as its own adornments. This preening is not only important for beauty; it is
also necessary for protection from rain and cold. I wanted to achieve a porcelain-like delicacy and transparency." Robert
Bateman |
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" GREAT
HORNED OWL STUDY "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper Edition
9.75" x 7.75"
$255
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"The great horned owl is one of the most widespread owls
in North America. Each climatic region has a different race
with different plumage ranging from very pale to dark russets
and blacks. The race I have shown here is typical of the areas
where I have lived. Since I have always liked the look of fierce
creatures, this fellow’s expression is one of my favorites.
The great, curving frown is emphasized by the upswept "horns".
He always looks this way, no matter what his mood. But the expression
does indeed fit with a fierce and capable attacker of other
creatures he preys upon." Robert Bateman |
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" GRIZZLY
AND CUBS "
Robert Bateman
2250 s/n Paper
21.125" x 31.875"
$355
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"The
little grizzly cubs are doing what comes naturally to almost
all young things - they are playing around, which gives one
a sense of joy. The cubs, of course,
are learning and practicing the skills of life while they’re
having fun. And, like all higher mammals,
the mother bear is hoping to teach them a thing or two. Luckily,
the alpine meadow is unlikely to be developed by man, but the
forested parts of the grizzly range and any areas near civilization
are being exploited at an alarming rate. Across
the bottom of this painting is an eroded bank. I deliberately put the cubs wrestling precariously at
the lip of the bank as an allegory for eroding grizzly bear
habitat and tumbling grizzly bear numbers." Robert
Bateman |
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" GRIZZLY AT REST "
Robert Bateman
650 s/n Paper
18.5" x 32.5"
$191
180 s/n Giclee Canvas 24" x 42" $785 |
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" GROUND
HORNBILL "
SAPPI PORTFOLIO
550 s/n Paper
20" x 16.75"
$95
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Part
of the exclusive limited edition (550) "Sappi" portfolio. Money
generated from the sale of the portfolio go to the World Wildlife
Fund South Africa - Robert Bateman |
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" GULLS
ON PILINGS "
Robert Bateman
1950 s/n Paper
26" x 19.5"
$335
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"This
setting appealed to me artistically. The
accents of the birds on the pilings set up a syncopated rhythm
like musical notes on a piano. I also
feel that the empty space at the top of the painting is an important
positive compositional element that makes a statement on its
own." Robert Bateman |
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" GALLOPING
HERD - GIRAFFES "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
25.25" x 20" Email Price
180 s/n Giclee Canvas
30" x 24"
$785
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"Running
giraffes make elegant rocking strides, which almost appear to
be in slow motion. In this picture, I
wanted a tapestry or mural look, flattened by a veil of dust. I was partly inspired by the lyrical rock wall paintings
of the African bushmen." Robert Bateman |
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" GAMBEL'S
QUAIL PAIR "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
7.625" x 10.875"
$315
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"I
have shown this pair of Gambel’s quail in typical habitat of
a fairly dry, rocky hillside. I used
the shapes in the rocks to echo the plump birds’ bodies; the
seed heads in the grasses repeat the little forehead tassel
of the male." Robert Bateman |
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" GATEKEEPER "
Robert Bateman
1500
s/n Paper
12" x 17""
$88
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| This is the gate to one of the original Bateman farms. I like to think of my father as a boy, opening the gate and going through to the barn. Undoubtedly on that day, the ancestor of this little wren would be scolding the intruder or exuberantly singing an ode to his territory. To me, it is the unmusical music of a spring day in the rural countryside. It is entirely bucolic. Robert Bateman |
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" GHOST
OF THE NORTH "
GREAT GRAY OWL
Robert Bateman
950
s/n Paper
20" x 27"
$1550
180 s/n Giclee Canvas 30" X 40"
$1025
50 s/n Giclee Canvas 36"x 48" Email-price
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"The
great gray owl is truly a ghost of the north. It is fleeting and silent. Its
wing feathers have downy edges, making its flight totally silent. The colors are subdued, and the patterns provide excellent
camouflage."
Robert Bateman |
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" GIANT
PANDA "
Robert Bateman
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The giant panda is a close relative of the bears but is not exactly the same. While it appears to be very much like all other bears, the vocalizations as well as the anatomy of the reproductive tract and data from blood protein indicate that the giant panda is distinct from all other bears.
As most people know, the giant panda is a very rare animal which lives in the mountains of China and feeds mainly on bamboo. The habitat is threatened, and the breeding potential is low. The panda is one of the most conspicuous endangered species in the world. Without considerable effort on the part of people who care, the panda would undoubtedly soon become extinct in the wild. This is why it is an appropriate symbol for World Wildlife Fund. I did this painting as part of a fund-raising effort in conjunction with Metro Toronto Zoo, World Wildlife Fund and the People's Republic of China. The timing was appropriate because of the loan of two pandas to the zoo by China.
The concept for this painting presented me with a major problem. I usually like my wildlife subjects to be somewhat subtle and incorporated into the environment. The panda is perhaps the least subtle of all animals with its striking black and white pattern and almost trite 'stuffed toy' image. One theory for the reason for this colour is that they are anti-social and try to avoid each other. This pattern makes them visible to each other before they get too close. I decided to make the strong black and white of the panda subservient to an even more striking black and white waterfall and to lay the panda back behind some mist.
The source material for my pandas came from the live animals at the Metro Toronto Zoo and Washington, DC Zoo. The pose of my subject is absolutely typical. The spine of a panda curves so they sit on their lower back with their legs spread apart forming a very stable triangle. They are evidently almost totally single-minded in their interest in food, which is usually bamboo. I have tried to avoid the obvious cuteness by picturing him as a slightly scruffy old sage of the mountains, reminiscent of early Chinese paintings on silk.
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" GLOBAL WARNING "
Robert Bateman
950 sn Paper
15.25" x 20.5" $125
180 s/n Giclee Canvas
32"x40" $945
It is said that the polar bear is the new "canary in the coal mine." The signals of climate change are numerous and seem to be piling up day by day – disrupted weather patterns, more bad storms and deterioration of coral reefs, to name a few. Numbers of examples of global warming are making the news, such as retreating of glaciers. It is the Polar Regions that are the most vulnerable to the warming, and so are early warning signs as to what is to come. Perma frost is no longer “perma.” More southern plants and insects and birds are appearing in the Arctic for the first time. But the most powerful symbol of what is happening to the climate of the planet is the plight of the polar bear. In a real sense, polar bears are marine mammals. They live by the sea, their primary food source is the sea, and they are great swimmers. Seals are their staff of life, but bears are not aquatic mammals like seals. They could not dream of chasing down a seal in the water. They must approach from a solid footing, almost always sea ice. Seals obviously come up through holes in the ice to breathe or climb out to sleep or “sunbathe.” The bear often approaches from a long distance with great care and stealth, blending in with the whitish sea ice. However, this sea ice is now disappearing and with it the hunting ground for the bears. Scattered, fragmented pans of ice are still all right for seals to rest on, but very difficult for the polar bear’s stalking strategy. As a result, the bears are becoming thinner and breeding success is falling. They are now being seen further and further away from their old hunting grounds. The impending doom for polar bear populations is a warning that we must face the inconvenient truth and move away from dependence on fossil fuels.
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" GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET AND RHODODENDRON "
Robert Bateman
950
s/n Paper
12" x 15.5"
$2055
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"In
this work, I wanted to show the diminutive quality of the bird
by subordinating it to the blossoms. Although the images have
a delicate, feminine look, I was also intrigued by the abstract
power created by the shapes in the reflections." Robert
Bateman |
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" GOLDEN-HEADED
LION TAMARIN "
Robert Bateman
290 s/n Original Lithograph
8" x 5"
$275
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Proceeds
from Robert Bateman’s tamarin edition also help raise funds
to protect one of the most endangered rainforest monkeys. |
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" GOLDFINCH
WITH MULLEIN "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
16.75" x 21.125"
$175
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"In
this painting, I like the way the old leaves have a textured,
sculptural quality that relates to the eroded embankment. The
soft, adulatory forms of the grassy hillside are a backdrop
to the sentinel-like ramrods of mature mullein stocks. Although
many consider them just weeds, to me the mullein plants have
the nobility of some ancient aristocrat. The goldfinch is not
an afterthought. I put him in the painting partly to give scale,
and partly because he is usually found in this type of habitat.
I left the bottom unfinished because I enjoyed the sketchy quality
of my brush strokes, and I liked the artistic element provided
by the white negative spaces." Robert Bateman |
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" GOSHAWK
AND RUFFED GROUSE "
Robert Bateman
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"In
the entire living world, the killing of one species must take
place so that another species survives. In
nature, it is usually done quickly, cleanly and without anger."
Robert Bateman |
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" GRAY
SQUIRREL "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
17" x 25.5"
$535
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"One
of the gray squirrel’s favorite trees is the American beech,
which produces an abundant harvest of sharp-cornered beechnuts. These are gathered by the squirrel and often stored or
buried, which often seems less productive for the squirrel than
for the perpetuation of beech trees." Robert
Bateman |
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" GREAT
BLUE HERON "
Robert Bateman
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"The
process of original printmaking appeals to me because it is
a human process; it involves no complex optical equipment other
than my own eyes. I believe that technology
often separates us from nature, and I like the idea that my
original prints are made by my hand."
Robert Bateman |
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" GREAT
BLUE HERON IN FLIGHT "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
16.625" x 33.25"
$695
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"Flattened
by the mist, I saw this heron in flight as an image on a Japanese
screen; this oriental influence is what prompted me to cut off
its wing. The willow branches are a counterpoint
to the bird’s shapes and help thrust him back into the mist." Robert
Bateman |
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" GREAT
HORNED OWL IN WHITE PINE "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
30.5" x 15.875"
$855
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"In
this picture, I have shown the owl in his haughty, angry pose,
as if he is staring down the contemptible crows. I wanted to achieve a sense of air and space behind the
owl and to give an unstable, oriental look to the composition
with the white, empty space at the bottom."
Robert Bateman |
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" GREATER
KUDU BULL "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
7.5" x 13.125"
$188
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"The
kudu is one of the most magnificent antelopes in Africa. It is large and swift and elusive. I
have been lucky enough to see them in the field on several occasions,
but since they live in thick bush country, this is usually quite
difficult." Robert Bateman |
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" GREY-HOODED
KINGFISHER "
SAPPI PORTFOLIO
550 s/n Paper
20" x 16.75"
$95
|
Part
of the exclusive limited edition (550) "Sappi" portfolio. Money
generated from the sale of the portfolio go to the World Wildlife
Fund South Africa - Robert Bateman |
|
" GRIZZLY
HEAD PORTRAIT "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
12" x 18"
$118
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" GRIZZLY
BEAR "
Robert Bateman
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" GULF
COAST & LAUGHING GULLS "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
17.625" x 23.5"
$145
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"Vacationers
from the north like to come to more tropical climes to recline
in lounge chairs and maybe even go for a swim. There is a carefree
aspect to this life which I felt was captured in this scene.
The flock of laughing gulls symbolize to me the happy holiday
makers." Robert Bateman |
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