Description
Red-Winged Blackbird and Rail Fence – 18″ x 24″ – 950 Signed and Numbered Paper Print
“In the early spring, the red-winged blackbirds move north to their nesting territory. The males come first and begin their spectacular scrapping over boundaries. Feathers fluffed up, heads down with glowing red and yellow epaulets thrust forward, they gurgle their strident battle cries. The bold, slashing strokes of the rail fence and its reflection attracted me because of the abstract form. It made me think of a Franz Kline painting or a piece of Japanese calligraphy. The dynamic effect of the strokes suggested a Samurai conflict which seemed appropriate for these red-winged warriors.
I did field sketches of the birds and rendered Plasticine models based on the sketches. Then I did paintings from the models on bits of card to the scale of the picture which had been roughed in. I tried the cutout birds in various positions using masking tape. This particular arrangement pleased me most artistically. The fluffed up bird on the left is the dominant one. The sleek bird in the upper right is the fleeing loser. After I had finished the painting an ornithologist friend informed me that the dominant bird would not normally allow himself to get below the subdominant bird. This scientific flaw bothers me, but not enough to change the composition. I always try to reconcile art and nature in my paintings, but if I had to choose between them, I would choose art.” – Robert Bateman
Red-Winged Blackbird and Rail Fence is available
Biography
Robert Bateman has been called the most famous living artist. He continues to paint and tour the world to promote conservation and preservation of nature. We have represented Robert Bateman for decades and are now the sole publisher and distributor of his reproductions. We are so honored to work with him and witness his success. He has made such a massive contribution to the art world and the natural world as an artist and educator of the earth’s most important resources.
Nature as a subject is becoming more and more popular as our environment is in peril. What better subject is there than the beautiful creatures we share this world with? Robert Bateman’s appreciation and understanding of nature are apparent in his paintings. He is able to paint flora and fauna the way your eye would perceive it in real life. It is important that the animal takes full attention. The background becomes muted, and therefore it doesn’t take too much focus away from the subject. His paintings seem effortless and masterful all at once.
Bateman’s eye for composition is unparalleled. Each painting is a composed like a symphony, leading the eye to wander. From the backyards of North America to the sprawling plains of Africa. Robert Bateman captures nature the way it should be enjoyed. Above all he is a champion of wildlife. For this reason he has become a household name for art collectors.
