Robert Bateman Quotes

I can't conceive of anything being more varied and rich and handsome than the planet Earth. And its crowning beauty is the natural world. I want to soak it up, to understand it as well as I can, and to absorb it. And then I'd like to put it together and express it in my paintings. This is the way I want to dedicate my work.

Robert Bateman

Together, World, Earth

"Garden tales reveal what's bugging folks" by Kathleen Sullivan, www.sfgate.com. August 13, 2004.

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If you find yourself worrying, go outside, take three breaths, address a tree and quietly say, 'Thank you.' If you can't find a tree, a dandelion will do... Nature is magic.

Robert Bateman

Worry, Tree, Magic

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To me the most important thing in a piece of art is the thought. Technique is totally secondary.

Robert Bateman

Art, Important, Technique

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You begin paying more attention to what you're seeing when you know the names... If you don't know the names of plant and animal species that share your neighbourhood, you don't care about them and can't protect biodiversity.

Robert Bateman

Animal, Names, Attention

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I've never thought sitting around worrying helps anything, except to help shorten your life.

Robert Bateman

Worry, Sitting, Helping

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It doesn't take more skill to paint hundreds of strokes rather than one right stroke but it takes more patience.

Robert Bateman

Skills, Paint, Strokes

"ROBERT BATEMAN: On home life, health, helping wildlife and his art muse". Interview with Carol Crenna, carolcrenna.wordpress.com. October 15, 2012.

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I take two walks up hills each day, and bike ride each morning. I also have an exercise bike to increase my heart rate. My wife and I have been going to a personal trainer for weights and balance twice a week for 10 years. My balance has improved tremendously and the weights decrease my age. I only feel 52, not 82.

Robert Bateman

Morning, Heart, Exercise

"Robert Batemen: On home life, health, helping wildlife and his art muse". Interview with Carol Crenna, carolcrenna.wordpress.com. December 15, 2012.

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The most important question facing the planet is: Is it worth it?

Robert Bateman

Important, Planets, Is It Worth It

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I never thought that I would support myself with art - everyone in the Group of Seven had day jobs. I became a geography teacher so that I could get free field trips into the wilderness to paint.

Robert Bateman

Teacher, Art, Jobs

"Robert Batemen: On home life, health, helping wildlife and his art muse". Interview with Carol Crenna, carolcrenna.wordpress.com. December 15, 2012.

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Nature is not a free lunch, but we treat it as a free lunch.

Robert Bateman

Nature, Lunch, Treats

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In our instant pudding world, everything is sweet, smooth, very convenient and fast. There are lots of assorted flavors, but they're all artificial.

Robert Bateman

Sweet, Pudding, Flavor

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Aesthetic pleasure is not to be taken lightly; it's very important for the spirit and therefore the health.

Robert Bateman

Taken, Important, Spirit

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When you get to be my age, you begin to count how many Mays you have left - the best time of year for flowers and birds in North America.

Robert Bateman

Flower, Years, America

"ROBERT BATEMAN: On home life, health, helping wildlife and his art muse". Interview with Carol Crenna, carolcrenna.wordpress.com. October 15, 2012.

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I got serious about painting at 12, when most people give up.

Robert Bateman

Giving Up, Ambition, People

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Children don't play outside enough. For hundreds of thousands of years young people spent time outside - until 15 years ago.

Robert Bateman

Children, Years, Play

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I prefer to hike in nature, give lectures, or be with family when not working.

Robert Bateman

Giving, Relaxation, Lectures

"Robert Batemen: On home life, health, helping wildlife and his art muse". Interview with Carol Crenna, carolcrenna.wordpress.com. December 15, 2012.

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Art is challenging and frustrating but I don't linger in it. I work on five paintings at a time so if I'm frustrated I put one down and begin another.

Robert Bateman

Art, Frustration, Challenges

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Blackwater USA has already taken in more than $1 billion from the public coffers. All in all, that's not a bad take for Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater and a Naval Academy dropout who served less time under the colors of the nation, in uniform, than my most recent pair of boots.

Robert Bateman

Taken, Color, Usa

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After being an Impressionist, Cubist, and an Abstract Expressionist, I was influenced by realistic artists, including Andrew Wyeth in the late '50s, and I haven't changed my style since.

Robert Bateman

Artist, Style, Realistic

"Robert Batemen: On home life, health, helping wildlife and his art muse". Interview with Carol Crenna, carolcrenna.wordpress.com. December 15, 2012.

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If I ever have a conflict between art and nature, I let art win.

Robert Bateman

Art, Winning, Conflict

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My art collection is dominated by tribal art from Nigeria where I taught school, from New Guinea where we've travelled, and by Canadian Haida pieces. My own art is either on exhibition or owned by other people!

Robert Bateman

Art, School, People

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In art and science we are now in a delta, at the end of the long flow of progress. In a delta there is no clear direction but there may be many choices. The best we can do is to enjoy the choices that we have and to be genuinely and creatively eclectic.

Robert Bateman

Art, Clear Direction, Long

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A muse comes down from Mount Olympus and changes my attitude, cheering me up - it's an inner intuition, suddenly giving a breakthrough to be able to move ahead.

Robert Bateman

Cheer, Attitude, Moving

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Born: May 24, 1930
Occupation: Painter
Cite this Page: Citation

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