Once again, the Times Colonist and the Bateman Foundation are working together to offer to our readers our traditional gift of artwork created by Robert Bateman. Bateman, the world-renowned artist and naturalist, has a vast body of work — spanning species as large as the buffalo and as small as the mouse. He has touched millions of hearts and minds, awakening a reverence for wildlife. This year’s Christmas artwork is a painting: Courting Pair — Whistling Swans. (Cygnus columbianus; 1975, acrylic on masonite, 35¾ inches by 48 inches.)
Bateman’s description of this work:
“The big, white birds are strong and fierce. They have flown thousands of miles from wintering grounds to the Arctic to begin their nesting and are now performing their courtship ritual on the territory. They need time to raise their large young before the onset of fall, so they must begin early. In places, the tundra ponds may still be frozen. Whistling swans [now called Tundra swans] are the most common swans and may be readily seen during migration.
“When I started birding in my teens, I was surprised and delighted to learn of the staging stop about a hundred miles from my home. They came by the thousands. I will never forget the foggy March morning just after dawn. First, we heard the noble trumpeting, then the awesome white shapes appeared out of the mist flying just over our heads in several layers disappearing in the atmosphere above. We stood on the causeway between the marshes while the sounds and sights of hundreds of these great birds appeared and disappeared over our heads.
“One of the artistic challenges and pleasures of doing this painting was to play with the various shades and colours of white. I needed to show all of the form and lustrous light and shadow within this very limited range. It’s something like composing a piece of music using only one octave.”
Since 2013, the Bateman Foundation has been connecting people to nature through art at the Bateman Gallery, in the historic Steamship Terminal building at Victoria’s Inner Harbour — the traditional territory of the Lekwungen People, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.
The foundation, which Bateman founded, is one of the few non-profits in Canada that primarily uses artwork to promote a connection to nature.
Each year, the foundation reaches more than 300,000 people across North America, educates more than 4,000 people through the flagship education program NatureSketch, and welcomes more than 15,000 visitors to the gallery. The Bateman Gallery has the most extensive public collection of Bateman artwork, while the gallery shop is home to more than 100 Bateman limited edition prints, puzzles, books and educational games, as well as a curated selection of local artist-crafted artworks and jewelry.
All proceeds from the gallery and shop support the foundation’s mission of reconnecting people of all ages to the magic of nature. Through educational programs, community collaborations and gallery exhibitions, the foundation’s goal is to inspire generations of people to build a deeper relationship with the natural world.
The Bateman Gallery and Gift Shop, at 470 Belleville St., are closed until Jan. 3, when they will return to regular hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
• For more information about the Bateman Foundation, visit batemanfoundation.org.
