Great-Horned Owl from Rattlesnake Point, 2013

Private Collection, Toronto

Ramsay Derry, “The Art of Robert Bateman”, Markham, 1981, pages 54-55

The work of Robert Bateman reflects the artist’s commitment to environmentalism. In addition to being an active member of numerous conservation and environmental organizations, his artwork has raised millions of dollars’ worth of funds for these noble causes. With a degree in geography and a twenty-year career as a teacher, it was not until 1976 at the age of forty-six that Bateman took up painting full- time. The artist’s work has undergone numerous iterations from realism to impressionism to cubism and back to realism, but the unifying theme is his love and respect for the natural world. Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area is a natural eco-tourism attraction spanning 100 square kilometres and is a favourite destination for outdoor enthusiasts in southern Ontario. Here, Bateman has depicted a Great-Horned Owl at dusk in Rattlesnake Point in winter, in a striking monochromatic teal blue palette. Ramsay Derry notes that Robert Bateman’s “exceptional quality of conveying the emotional world of an animal (which is based on a close knowledge of the biological and behavioural details of the animal and its environment) makes his pictures very exciting for biologists and natural scientists who may sometimes know a great deal about the subjects.”