I've just finished this painting of a fox. All that's left is to hang it on the gallery wall ready for my exhibition which opens on Saturday. You can see the different stages of this painting by clicking here

Red Kite Walk

My exhibition opens this weekend! I'm just finishing off my final originals which I'll post details of in the next couple of days. But I thought you might be interested to know that there are four places left on my red kite walk on this Saturday 3rd November at 2.30pm. It's a great opportunity to watch red kites coming into roost at this Yorkshire Wolds colony near the gallery. Tickets are £10 and you can book online www.robertefuller/acatalog/events.html or contact the gallery on 01759 368355

New paintings on the go

I've just started work on these three new drawings of otters. I'm hoping they'll be ready in time for my Winter Exhibition which opens next Friday (Nov 3rd). Paintbrushes are flying!

Fairy Wren

I've just finished this painting of a Fairy Wren. It was a present for a local couple's Ruby Wedding Anniversary from their daughter who lives in Australia. What a nice gift!

Nearly finished: New hare painting

I've nearly finished this painting of hares in snow.

It's five foot long - larger than my easel.

I've taken this close up to see if you can spot what I still need to add.

Got it now?

Hegehog Weigh In Attracts a Facebook Hedgehog!!

The hedgehogs I found turned out to be way too small to survive the oncoming winter.

This one only weighed 240gs!!! So I'll definitely be looking after them until I can let them go in the spring.

When I posted these cute pictures on my facebook site I got a call from someone who had found an even smaller one so I'm now looking after this one too.

It's so small I've had trouble finding the right food for it until I hit upon Spikes Hedgehog Food at Pets at Home, which it loves.

New Limited Edition Prints

These images are now available as a limited edition prints - I hope you like them!

This picture of a woodpecker hiding from a sparrowhawk is one that customers asked me to publsih as a print so I've got it out in time for people to buy for Christmas.

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If you're interested you can order them via the website by following this link.



Winter Wildlife Exhibition

I'm very busy finishing off paintings for my winter exhibition which runs from November 3^rd-18^that my gallery at Thixendale. There's a lot to do.
I'll be opening my studio so that visitors can see the wildlife photographs I take during fact-finding missions all over the world - so I need to get it looking tidy.
I'll also be releasing some new limited-edition prints so I need to make sure there is plenty in stock for customers who want to buy Christmas presents. I've been working on a new series of sketches of otters to celebrate the amazing news that this shy creature has survived almost certain extinction.
And on top of all the paintings and prints, there will be riverside walks to look for otters as well an evening talk on how otters were rescued in Yorkshire.This is in addition to the exciting new owl safaris, birdwatching, falconry and bushcraft workshops taking place.
I've listed the events below. If you want to book please click on the headings.

KIDS (All kids events £6.50)
Bushcraft: Firelighting: Learn how to build a fire in the wilderness at this exciting survival workshop. Note children aged 3-6 must be accompanied by an adult.
Sat 3^rd November: 10.15-11.00am (for 3-6 Yrs) and 11.30am- 12.30 (7yrs+)
Bushcraft: Den-building: Build a den good enough to survive a night in the wild within the wooded grounds of The Robert Fuller Gallery.
Sat  17^th November: 10.15-11.00am (for children 3-6 yrs) and 11.30am- 12.30 (7yrs+)
Craft workshops. Plant a bulb and decorate it with a cheery Santa; make a tree top angel or make a cardboard snowman and fill it with sweets at these exciting art workshops for children of all ages.
Flying Rockets: Make rocket for bonfire night at this fun art workshop.
Sat 3^rd November: 1.30-2.30pm
Best Tree Top Angel: Use glitter and pine cones to make a stunning flying angel for your tree.
Sun 11^th November: 1.30-2.30pm
Frosty the Snowman Surprise: Make a cardboard snowman and fill it with sweets atthis fun art workshop
Sun 18th November 1.30-2.30pm
Falconry (*these events are also open to adults see times below) Stroke an owl, learn how to handle a hawk and come face to face with a falcon at these fun falconry events
Owl Day: Handle a barn owl, aEuropean eagle owl, a snowy owl and many more.
Sun 4^th November       
9.45- 10.30am for ages 3-6yrs
10.30-11.30am for ages 7Yrs+
11.30-12.30am for adults
Falcon Day: Learn about these magnificent birds of prey and meet a peregrine falcon and more at this fascinating falconry event.
Sun 11^th November
 9.45- 10.30am = 3-6yrs
10.30-11.30am = 7Yrs+
11.30-12.30am = Adults
Hawk Day: Fly a hawk, buzzard or eagle at this exciting falconry event.
Sun 18^th November 
9.45- 10.30am = 3-6yrs
10.30-11.30am = 7Yrs+
11.30-12.30am = Adults

ALL OTHER EVENTS £10
Red KiteWatch See the UK’s most acrobatic bird of prey as it swoops and dives over the Yorkshire Wolds.
Sat Nov 3^rd 2.30-4.30pm
Sun Nov 11^th 2.30-4.30pm
Taste the Wolds Food producers from the Yorkshire Wolds offer samples of their culinary delights at this free tasting evening. Pick out cooking oils, sloe ports or sherries and chilli jams to make  your own Christmas hamper at this free event.
Tue Nov 6^th 7.30-9pm
Owl Safaris Choose from a trip to see short eared owls hunting or join a guided trip to Sunk Island to watch barn owls, seals, merlin and peregrine falcon.
Barn Owl Safari

Sat 10^th November 2.00pm-4.00pm

Sat 17^th November 2.00-4.00pm
Short Eared Owl Safari
Sun Nov 4^th 1.30pm-3.00pm
Sun Nov 18^th 1.30pm-3.00pm
Otter Walk Seek out otter tracks and other signs that these protected species are again thriving on Yorkshire’s rivers.
Sun 4^th November and Saturday November 17th 10.00-12noon at Tophill Low
Sun 11^th November 10.00-12noon at Westow
Annie StirkCooks Let Yorkshire Life food guru Annie Stirk show you how to add sparkle to your Christmas table at this Christmas cookery demonstration.
Sat 10^th November 7.30pm-9.00pm
Wildlife - an artist’s perspective A talk by acclaimed wildlife artist Robert E Fuller on how he gets Britain’s shiest creatures to pose for a painting.
Sat 17^th November 7.30pm-9.00pm
Wildlife Worldwide A joint talk by Galapagos guide and naturalist Santiago Bejarano on the world’s most exotic location - and by artist Robert Fuller on the wildlife of Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Sun 2^nd December 7.30-9.00pm
Otters in Yorkshire Joint talk by wildlife artist Robert E Fuller on how to get close to otters in order to photograph them and by wildlife rehabilitation expert Jean Thorpe on how she saved two orphaned otters and successfully reintroduced them to the wild and Sylvia Jay on her role in otter conservation

Sun 4^th November 7.30-9.00pm

Hope you can make it!!

Duck on Ice

I've just finished this painting of two drakes and a duck for my exhibition which runs from November 3-18th.

People often ask me how I paint so I decided to devote a post to the process.

It always begins outside with my camera. I photographed these ducks when the pond in Huggate was frozen over in 2010. I kept the photograph on file, knowing that one day it would provide a useful study of duck feet.

But it wasn't until I sat down to work on my composition earlier this year that I realised I had this photograph taken in Brimingham in 2008. The way they were standing gave me the idea for a composition that I liked.I spend a long time on the composition of my pictures, sometimes cutting up my photographs and moving them about until I'm happy.

Then it's time to start painting the background. I paint on MDF board, covering the board with an acrylic primer first to protect it from the oil paint I will apply later. I used a roller to put this base blue colour down then added greens, blues and yellows with a brush to get the ice effect.

I then waited a week for the background to dry before I sketched out my subject over the top, getting the outline of the ducks on before blocking in the basic colours of the ducks to cover up all the pencil lines.

To get bird feathers to look authentic, I use a hog hair brush and drag my paintbrush in the direction of the feathers.For the finer detail I use a fine nylon brush which I replace every few days because it’s essential I have a brush with a fine point.

People often ask me how long it takes me to paint but I have never actually timed myself, mainly because I have to leave it to dry sometimes up to five times and each time for a week.
It’s always a great feeling when I’ve finished and I’m pleased with this one. The very last stage is thinking up a title and sometimes I’m really stumped for ideas. This year I asked my customers to come up with one. They picked M’llards and Lady – which I love.
I think it will make a good Christmas scene and so I intend to also print it as a Christmas card. The Malton Gazette published the story. Click here to read it in full.

Britain's most vulnerable species

After the exotica of Kenya, my attention was brought home to our own endangered species after I found two baby hedgehogs in the garden.

They look too small to be able to survive the oncoming winter and so for the moment I've brought them inside.
According to the animal rescue experts Tiddlywinkles they need to be over 600gs otherwise they won't make it through the winter.
I'm going to weigh them to make sure but they seem much too small. It means they are likely to be with me until next spring, I'll keep you posted on how they get on.

Maneless Lions: Samburu's Unique Wildlife

Many of the animals found in Samburu are unique to this northern region of Kenya - including these mane less lions.

It is not known why these mature males do not have much of a mane. Some believe it is because it is so hot in this dry, arid region. But a more plausible answer is that the scarcity of prey here means that the males play a more important role in hunting and don't want to be weighed down with heavy manes.
In comparison the hairy male lions in the Masai Mara rely mainly on the females in the pride to hunt.

There are only about 12 lions in Samburu and again this sparse population is probably due to the scarcity of prey. These two pride males were a formidable pair. They were known to take baby elephant and giraffe.

Among the most remarkable of Samburu wildlife is the Grevy's zebra. Tall in stature, with narrow stripes they have distinctive round, Mickey-mouse ears which reduce them to the comical! Grevy's zebra have a totally different social structure to Africa's other zebras. The males hold a territory and are mainly solitary, mating with females that they come across rather than holding a harem of females like stallions of other subspecies.

 The gerenuk antelope is also unique to this region. It browses on bushes on its back legs and is able to reach branches that are higher than other antelope can reach and lower than giraffe can eat.

 I'll leave you with just a few final images from the trip I led to Kenya. It really was a special safari and the final spell spent at Elephant Watch Camp in Samburu was amazing. I can't wait to go again.

It's always a treat to see leopard and we saw this one twice in Samburu..

 These dwarf mongese warming up in the morning sun were fun.

And I loved this stunning Agama lizard.

Oh and this crocodile.

Samburu Bird Life

The bird life in Samburu was fantastic. These vulturine guinea fowl became iconic - a symbol of the safari I led. They were everywhere and were real characters. Such great fun to watch.

 

I felt so priviledged. I had a pearl spotted owl living at the back of my tent and saw a Verreaux's eagle owl from my bathroom.

But it's the colours that strike you. Just look at this red-and-yellow barbet.



And this grey hooded king fisher.

Unlike most kinfishers, grey hooded kingfishers don't actually eat fish, they eat insects, which is one of those strange but true facts.

Light chanting goshawks were everywhere. They specialise in catching lizards and snakes and this one had just finished eating a lizard when I photographed it. For details of our safaris click here.









A Famous Baby Elephant

The safari I led to Samburu in Kenya was a bit like being on a film set - there were so many famous elephants there.
The herds that wander past Elephant Watch Camp where we stayed are all regulars on BBC One's Planet Earth series - including this little baby elephant, known as Pink Foot due to its unusually pigmented left foot.
Watching footage of this elephant on BBC One's Planet Earth this Sunday brought back so many memories.
I was surprised to see how much this baby has grown since it was filmed for television. Click on my video link to watch it playing in the river this August.
For more information on my safaris please click here.