Canadian artist Robert Bateman, born and schooled in Toronto, filled
his youthful days with a myriad of outdoor experiences involving nature.
He seized every opportunity to broaden his knowledge. The royal Ontario
Museum was like his second home. In his teens and early twenties, Bateman's
thirst for learning led him into a wide variety of fascinating natural
history experiences and world travel, always in association with natural
history scientists who were important influences in formulating his ideas.
From boyhood to University days, sketchbooks were a inseparable part
of his explorations and travel. He majored in geography and studied art
at the University of Toronto, received his teaching certificate, and
in Ontario taught both geography and art. It was during a two-year teaching
stint in Africa that he began his serious African wildlife painting.
He resides in Ontario, and with the exception of some lecturing and
serving on conservation and art boards, Robert Bateman paints full time.
He travels extensively on field trips. First-hand observation, he feels
is the most important tool.
The focus on environment is the essence of Bateman's paintings. From
the first, his drawing and paintings were direct from nature and realistic
in style. Later, he worked into contemporary styles such as Cubism and
Abstract Expressionism; but he has always worked in the field using the
natural world as his subject. He then returned to realism but with a
new approach to composition and concept, deciding this was the style
in which he could best express his feeling for nature. His works have
been exhibited worldwide and are in collections on four continents.
Print Shown: Near Glenburnie
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