My Christmas Exhibition will Focus on Wildlife in Winter

I've been very busy gearing up for my Christmas exhibition, which runs at my gallery in Thixendale, North Yorkshire, between November 4th-26th. 
This year I'm planning to show a new collection of paintings featuring wild creatures posed against a winter-white backdrop. Foxes diving into deep snow drifts, hares warming in the winter sun and a kingfisher perched on a frosted branch are just some of the new winter wildlife paintings I plan to show. Painted in my usual precise and realistic style, I'm hoping this new collection will reveal the stark beauty of the British countryside in winter

Fox-A-Mousing, painted by Robert E Fuller. Click for a link to buy the print.

Hare Stretch, taken from a painting by Robert E Fuller. Click on the picture to buy.

I spent many hours trudging through deep snow drifts in icy blasts to watch animals for this exhibition. I wrapped up warm, in a white snow suit with white camouflage for my camera, and kept as still as possible as I followed hares, foxes and squirrels across breathtaking scenery. I wanted to know how our wildlife copes during the coldest months of the year and to photograph them against the white of winter.





I paint directly from photographs taken in the field and spend some time working on the composition of my painting by cutting out photographs of my subject and arranging them onto a board before I begin work at my easel.

Visitors to my beamed gallery high on the Yorkshire Wolds will also get to see inside my studio for a preview into my creative process and access to the photographic and video material that inform my paintings. 

My photographic studies of wildlife in snow will also be on show. I'm still to arrange these on the walls of my studio but below is a shot of the displays following a trip to the Galapagos Islands.



And in the gallery I'll be displaying TV screens streaming live footage from cameras hidden in the nests of owls, stoats and weasels, as well as video clips of the best of my footage so far. I hope visitors will enjoy watching these and get an understanding how my video clips and photographic studies of animals in winter are translated into paintings.



Below is a selection of the paintings I am working on for the exhibition. As you can see I still have a way to go before I'm ready!



But thankfully I'm still on schedule and I should have a great new body of work to show by November.

I've also got a great programme of activities to enrich the experience for visitors. I've booked a number of experts to run some exciting events, including guided treks to see red kites at a winter roost, birdwatching walks to look for winter migrants and falconry. Wildlife events are now a regular feature of my exhibition and I think people have really liked them. This time they will also include a talk by myself on how I produce my paintings.

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Here is a quote from one visitor who reviewed my last exhibition on TripAdvisor:

 "We have been meaning to visit this gallery for years and it was worth the wait. We saw close up the beautiful wildlife paintings, sculptures, prints and merchandise on offer. The animals in the art look so real, their eyes are sparkling and you can tell that the artist has really studied the animals in their environment. "Our children enjoyed seeing the live cams of birds and their young. You can also purchase books eg wildlife photography which are really lovely and other merchandise such as tea towels, placemats, mugs etc all with roberts artwork on. The drive to the setting is wonderful. The people at the gallery are really friendly and genuine." Sarah A, TripAdvisor July 2017

If you are planning to visit the exhibition and would like to make sure you can join an event then get ahead now and book yourself on. Below are the details and links to my booking page.

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ACCOMPANYING EVENTS – Book tickets on-line or by phone 01759 368355. Click on the dates displayed below and book.

Robert E Fuller Talk & Slideshow: From Wildlife photographs to Wildlife Paintings Sat 18th Nov 7.30pm Tickets £12. This acclaimed wildlife artist talks about his personal journey from the inspirational flash of a kingfisher, through months of research, to the finished painting.

Birdwatching Safaris:

Birds of Millington Sat 11th Nov 10am-12 noon. Tickets: £10. Join expert ornithologist Michael Flowers for this walk around this stunning Yorkshire Wolds valley to see its rich birdlife.

Winter Migrants Fri 24th Nov 10am-12 noon Tickets: Adults £10. Our expert birdwatcher Jack Ashton-Booth takes you on a walk around the gallery to spot unusual migrating birds.

Birds of Thixendale Sun 26th Nov 10am-12 noon Tickets: £10 Join expert birdwatcher Michael Flowers to see birds as they feed up for winter in this stunning Yorkshire Wolds valley.

Red Kite Safaris:

With expert ornithologist Michael Flowers: Sat 11th Nov 2pm-4.30pm & Sun 26th Nov Tickets: £10. See red kites swoop and swirl as they come in to roost.

With our expert resident ornithologist Jack Ashton-Booth, on Fri 24th Nov 2pm-4.30pm, see the same roost and let Jack tell you all about how it originated.

Falconry:

Sun 5th Nov |  Sun 12th Nov | Sun 19th Nov & Sun 26th Nov: 10am-11.30am Kids! Fly a Falcon Tickets: Adults £7 Kids £5. Handle birds of prey and learn all about how they survive in the wild at this fun family event.

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I'll be telling the story of the build up to my exhibition over the coming weeks as well as sharing pictures from the event itself so keep an eye out for my next few blogs.