ROBERT BATEMAN - 20 minutes from my house!


I had such a great afternoon Sunday!

I remember exactly where I was sitting when I saw the first painting by Robert Bateman. Say what you will – it ranks up there with all the events that have jolted my senses into full engagement – you know – those that make such an impact that you remember the day, the place, the situation you were in when it happened, the death of Lady Dianna, 911... Of course this was not an experience that signalled a shift in the course of world history. It was a delightful experience that moved something inside of me.

I was sitting on the daybed, which was where I slept when Wilmien and I visited her parents - my future in-laws, on their farm in South Africa. I was flipping through a Reader’s Digest in the dimly-lit living room of the then +/- 100 year old red mud brick farm house which has since been completely modernized. There was one small window in the room, no electricity and therefore no TV, just untold hours of outdoor activities and piles of books to read on rainy days and lamp-lit evenings. I was a first year student at the Pretoria Tech Art School. I have been into wildlife and art since I can remember, but when I read the article about this Canadian artist and saw his painting “Winter Cardinal” something welled up inside of me. It was the moment I said to myself, “this is what I want to do!” If I remember correctly Bateman’s first run in with Andrew Wyeth’s work did the same for him.
When Dan Schutlz was teaching his workshop here, I took him to some galleries, one of them was Art Country Canada in Bragg Creek. A notice on the door said Robert Bateman would be there on October 31, so today I had the privilege of meeting Robert Bateman. As he signed his most recent book, BATEMAN NEW WORKS for me, I told him about that experience on the farm in the few moments we had. He seemed genuinely interested. I thanked him for the influence his work has had on the formation of my ideas about art, nature and the awareness he brings to conservation. I also got him to sign my book with a message to my old art-school friend Jack Swanepoel which says, “Jack, I’m no longer jealous!” He was curious. “You really want me to put that?” He asked in a way that begged an explanation so I thought I’d tell him the story... 
The first art show I went to after we moved to Canada was one by John Seerey – Lester. I got good Mr John to sign me a brochure he had on hand with the inscription, “Jack, this is to make you jealous!” Jack and I share a love of wildlife art and nature and because South Africa is so far off the beaten track as far as exposure to world class artists is concerned, I just wanted him to know that they were “all around me now like flies on a rhino midden.” Sometime later I got a package from Jack with a brochure about the work in Robert Bateman’s show at the Everard Read Gallery in Johannesburg and an inscription; “Hermann, this is to make YOU jealous!” signed Robert Bateman.  









Here I am relaying the exchange of jealousies between me and my friend Jack. I think you'll agree - he was amused.
I know some people don’t appreciate Bateman’s art. I am aware of the ongoing criticism of Bateman’s work and marketing methods by the “art establishment” whomever or whatever they or that really is - but I don’t care – I like his stuff. I like a lot of different kind of art - but what impressed me this afternoon was to see that Robert Bateman is far more than an artist. I’d say most artists are just that – artists. That’s not a bad thing. There might be an interest in things beyond their work, but Bateman’s art has become a platform of expression for a heart that beats for the great social, environmental and spiritual issues of the world. As I stood there, listening to him speak, I felt something resonate within me once again. 
Thankfully there is no such thing as the world’s greatest artist, so for those who spend the time to gain a reputation for good, consistent and meaningful work in their chosen medium and subject matter, they have the choice to either be in it for what art can do for them or to use their gift as a platform from which to proclaim a message of much greater significance than their paintings may ever achieve. I am a firm believer that one person can make a difference.   

Thanks Robert Bateman – who knows how many other lives your work, seen in dimly lit farmhouses in obscure places across the world have influenced. I came away this afternoon thinking, if allowed the chance, I don’t just want to make paintings – I want to make a difference.
So here’s to the importance of “place;” of belonging, which facilitates passionate, personal action and to the measureless imagination and beauty of God and His creation, which, as you said, has the power to change human lives if we will allow ourselves to be saturated by it. 

LIZ WILTZEN - PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP



Anything can happen when you're out plein air painting!







I attended Liz Wiltzen's plein air workshop a few weeks ago. Some of the painting was done just a few minutes walk from her studio on Canmore. Not everyone can walk out the door and have a full view of the Three Sisters. We painted one of the 3 in the morning and then relocated further up the hill to paint the sun coming through the Aspens. We were spread out on either side of a narrow path when we realized that about 5 or 6 horses were headed our way. I mean, we were right next to the path - but hats' off to the riders who negotiated their way through the easels with tremendous confidence. I ride when I can and know that some horses would simply freak. I was impressed to say the least. Liz is in the red jacket. To the right is my set up.








I know it looks good, but the weather didn't last. Much of the time was spent indoors but Liz had us working hard and learning a lot.

Dan Schultz Workshop THE FIGURE IN THE LANDSCAPE



What a great time we had with Dan!



We had a pretty accomplished bunch of artists, but I don't think there was one person that did not learn something new. Dan is a great painter and a knowledgeable instructor who conveys his thoughts and insights clearly and with an easy tone. If you ever have an opportunity to take one of his workshops – don’t think about it; just do it! We were all impressed, challenged and at the same time encouraged by his positive one-on-one input. The words "value," "darkest dark," "edges," "warm and cool," keep going through my head. I don't think I can look at a landscape or face and just appreciate it for its beauty anymore – I “squint” at everything I see - I'm ruined!
This might be the wettest summer on record for Alberta so the outdoor sessions were a bit challenging but we made it work. The first day we focused on the portrait. Mya was a great model and was able to stand in for one of the models who got sick. In the morning Dan did a demo and in the afternoon we each tried our hand while he went around giving individual input. This is where we learned about starting a painting with the darkest dark and moving to the next lightest color and value while keeping all the values within the same value family. The workshop was to paint THE FIGURE IN THE LANDSCAPE. Thankfully the second day came with a little better weather and we could actually go outside. Marsha was our model for the day. In the morning Dan did a step by step demo so that each participant could make the applications in stages. There’s nothing quite like watching a demo and having the opportunity to ask questions. In the afternoon we set up in a different location. Dan did not demo so we started implementing what we had learned right off the bat.





On Saturday morning we were indoors again. Dan did a demo from a photograph. Since many artists paint from photos most of the time I thought the exercise would be very valuable. I was surprised how quickly Dan produced a piece from a photo. The challenge with painting from photographs is to keep from getting stuck on detail while retaining a representational image. Dan is so good at this. If you haven't done so, please visit Dan's web site and blog.
Because of the weather, the afternoon was spent painting indoors with directional light. The objective of a workshop is to learn, it is not to take home a pretty picture. Though most paintings were not finished, some good work began to show up. It was clear that participants were assimilating what Dan was teaching. Because my job was to host, I struggled to get focused during the sessions. I wanted to make sure everything was going OK for everybody. But my time came when it was all done. The highlight for me was to spend time with Dan after the workshop at different locations.
After church on Sunday afternoon we went off to Elbow Falls but ended up painting beautiful scene of the river downstream. There is nothing quite like personal instruction.

By the time we had seen the galleries and got a lunch to go there was 1 ½ hours to find and paint something. Speed painting for sure. We settled on a panoramic scene with the town too low in the valley for us to see any houses and a mountain high enough to have its top in the clouds as a background. Dan of course finished and did a sterling job. We were an hour from home, I had to pick up our daughter from school and get Dan to the airport so we packed up and dashed off.
On Monday Liz Wiltzen took us to Lake Moraine and for the 3 hours we painted it was cloudy but it did not rain. We couldn't be so close to Lake Louise and us not take Dan even if it was just to look. Maybe next visit we'll have more time and better weather to paint there.


On Tuesday we went back to Canmore to visit Liz’s studio. She was kind enough to take us to Sarah Kidner’s studio where I saw my first Scott Burdick and Kim English originals. All said this was one of the best painting weeks I’ve had. My hope is that Dan will be back soon and with his family.

April, 5, 2010

My very first painting after I finished art school, 1990.

Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus leucomelas
This is one of my favourite birds. They are a medium sized bird; 48 to 60 cm long. Only the male has a casque on the beak, although this is not as pronounced in the Yellow Bill as in other hornbills. My painting is of a female. They are common bush veldt residents in Southern Africa, preferring thorn scrub and dry woodland areas. They are quite bold and will eat right out of your hand. They are often found on the ground foraging for seeds, insects, spiders, scorpions, lizards etc. and hop sideways to see past their long bill. Females lay 3 to 4 eggs in nest cavities in trees. The male closes the incubating female in the cavity with mud for about 25 days and feeds her through a small opening. When the eggs hatch the mother breaks out and closes the babies in and both parents feed them through the small opening for another 45 days until they are mature enough to break out.
I love the way these hornbills fly. They have very broad wings which they open in a strong downward stroke that pushes their bodies up in the air and then they tuck them against their sides, which cause them to drop. The result is a flight pattern that resembles a long, leisurely, undulating wave. They call as they fly. One of my best memories is when we were on a culling contract in Swaziland. Our son was just 4. I had to cull about 500 impala so I hunted day and night for 3 months. Wherever I went, these hornbills would follow swooping low over the thorn trees keeping a sharp eye open for any insect or small animal that I might flush out walking through the bush. When we had need for some human contact we would sometimes leave our camp in the early evening and go into the small settlement where the company had a clubhouse complete with swimming pool, tennis courts, restaurant and other facilities. We would sit on the cool flagstone veranda overlooking the lush green golf course on which small herds of impala safely grazed. I could swear they looking up at me every now and then with a smug look (I was only allowed to cull in the bush!), and there they were - the Yellow Billed Hornbills, hopping along, peering sideways at us looking for a handout of Africa