I am truly fond of Robert Bateman and I have heard him speak in person on several occasions. He truly inspires me.
Quote by Bateman:
"We need to pay attention to the particularity of the planet. This is not just to save it. Paying attention to nature is a joy in itself and has measurable benefits for a person’s body, mind and spirit. Haiku poetry is all about small details of nature in time and space.
Of course, nature art does not have to be detailed. It can inspire wonderful paintings in a variety of styles, flat or three dimensional, bold or detailed. But in the delta, one style is not more advanced that any other. Those days are over. That is the whole point of this essay.
I am lucky to meet many people who are interested in nature and nature art. What is especially fascinating is that in recent years I see and hear from more and more young people. Many of them would like to grow up to be a wildlife artist. I tell them to first get a day job as a “meal ticket” and then paint their little hearts out in their spare time, for the love of it. If they get a meal ticket or day job they will not have to paint for the market, which is the death of creativity. Most artists will never be famous but that is not the point as long as they participate in the joy and struggle of creating art.
As long as nature is here, nature art will be here to stay. The future of nature art is bright. Let’s hope that the same can be said about nature itself."
Like everyone here I love his art.
Robert Bateman
