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" UNDER THE CANOPY - TOUCAN "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
22.5" x 18.75"
$165
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Toucans
are birds of the tropics, and they look it. They are exotic,
striking and colorful. It is almost as if the Creator was in
a circus mood when these birds were put together. I have enjoyed
seeing these birds in the tropical rain forests of Mexico, Belize
and Guatemala. This is the land of the ancient Mayan kingdoms.
I have placed the toucan beneath a frond of bay leaf palm, an
important plant to the Maya for thatch and other uses. The vivid
symmetry of the palm symbolizes the power and vitality of the
remarkable Mayan culture. - Robert Bateman
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"UP A TREE - LION CUB "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
8" x 10" $339
350 s/n Clasart
8" x 10" $365
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“Lion cubs, like all ground mammals, have a sense of play. It is a good way to learn about relationships and even to practice hunting.This particular cub climbed the tree out of youthful exuberance. Then, not knowing what else to do, he promptly fell asleep.” - Robert Bateman |
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" UNDER THE BANYAN - BENGAL TIGER "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
9" x 12"
$285
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A trip to India is always a wonderful adventure. The abundance of nature in such a densely populated place is always amazing. Tigers in the wild are the ultimate goal of anyone interested in the natural world of India. They are also the hardest to see. The best sighting of my life was by the old gate in Ranthambore. There was a mother and two half-grown cubs relaxing not more than four yards from our vehicle. This painting is one of those cubs in a tranquil but proud pose. Robert Bateman |
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" UP IN THE PINE - GREAT HORNED OWL "
Robert Bateman
950 s/n Paper
20" x 30.5"
$1155
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| I have spent such long periods of time gazing up into the pine
trees that my neck would barely straighten and I would see the
big pine boughs in my sleep. The owls
were very hard to see, but the rewards of discovery are well
worth the effort. - Robert Bateman |
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" UNDER CONSTRUCTION - CLIFF SWALLOWS "
Robert Bateman
1500 s/n Paper
9"x12"
$77
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The summer days of my youth were spent at a cottage on a lake which bordered northern forest and southern farmland. This was the perfect interface for a young artist and naturalist. The barn was only yards away from the cottage and was a source of endless pleasure ... hide and seek, jumping in the hay, watching the pigs ands sheep and cattle and chickens. It was the warm and complex world of the traditional family farm.
The barn also provided habitat for wildlife. The most obvious denizens were the barn swallows. Their cheery “peeta peeta” notes were blended with the barnyard sounds. Then one summer some of the swallows were uttering a more melodious chirp. Young Bateman, the budding birder, was thrilled to notice that some of the swallows had little creamy patches on their foreheads as well as square tails and orangey rumps. My Peterson field guide told me that these were cliff swallows. Before the arrival of Europeans [to North America] these birds would have nested under protective overhangs of cliffs but for the last couple of centuries the eaves of barns provided equal protection and barns were more abundant than cliffs in most areas.
Barn swallows build a simple cup attached to the wall or ledge but cliff swallows create gourd shaped orbs from little blobs of mud. I see fewer and fewer barns in my travels and it has been some time since I saw a cliff swallow but when I do my heart goes straight as an arrow to those days of my youth. Robert Bateman
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