Robert Bateman's Studio, Saltspring Island
Today we awoke on the southern Northwest Coast. Strange trees surrounded us. This region is the driest part of the coast, so forests were composed primarily of Douglas-fir. We saw unusual patches of deciduous trees. These were madronas. Madronas, also called arbutus, are broad-leafed evergreens. Their bark peels to produce beautiful patterns of rust and olive green.
The day's highlight was time spent with Robert Bateman. Many people consider Mr. Bateman to be the world's finest living wildlife artist. He and his wife, Birgit, took a Zodiac to the Sea Bird. Mr. Bateman then took us on a slide show "tour" of his house, introducing us to the collections he has made in a lifetime of studying natural and cultural diversity. Soon we went ashore on Salt Spring Island. The Bateman family mustered a minor fleet of vehicles to shuttle us to their home. Then we were free to wander the house and grounds. Already prepared by the shipboard introduction, we discovered the marvelous art, unusual artifacts and beautiful landscaping of the Batemans' at our own pace. Perhaps most interesting was Bateman's studio, where so many great works are created. We saw a number of works in progress, mostly paintings intended for a new book about birds.
Later in the day we cruised through the San Juan Islands. Paradoxically, the dry islands were rainy, but that did little to diminish the beauty of intricate passageways, the stony cliffs and gravelly beaches of these islands.
Today we awoke on the southern Northwest Coast. Strange trees surrounded us. This region is the driest part of the coast, so forests were composed primarily of Douglas-fir. We saw unusual patches of deciduous trees. These were madronas. Madronas, also called arbutus, are broad-leafed evergreens. Their bark peels to produce beautiful patterns of rust and olive green.
The day's highlight was time spent with Robert Bateman. Many people consider Mr. Bateman to be the world's finest living wildlife artist. He and his wife, Birgit, took a Zodiac to the Sea Bird. Mr. Bateman then took us on a slide show "tour" of his house, introducing us to the collections he has made in a lifetime of studying natural and cultural diversity. Soon we went ashore on Salt Spring Island. The Bateman family mustered a minor fleet of vehicles to shuttle us to their home. Then we were free to wander the house and grounds. Already prepared by the shipboard introduction, we discovered the marvelous art, unusual artifacts and beautiful landscaping of the Batemans' at our own pace. Perhaps most interesting was Bateman's studio, where so many great works are created. We saw a number of works in progress, mostly paintings intended for a new book about birds.
Later in the day we cruised through the San Juan Islands. Paradoxically, the dry islands were rainy, but that did little to diminish the beauty of intricate passageways, the stony cliffs and gravelly beaches of these islands.
