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Derek Robertson (artist)

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Derek Robertson RSW SSA SAA (born 1967) is a Scottish artist. One of the signature members of the Society of Animal Artists, he is known for his paintings of wildlife and landscapes,[1] and for his poetic narrative work[2] consisting of paintings, constructions and installations. He has been elected several times on the Council of the RSW and has written and presented 5 television programs[3] about his work and the wildlife he portrays and has written 5 books about his art: The Mugdrum,[4] Highland Sketchbook,[5] A Studio Under The Sky,[6] Otters, An Artist's Sketchbook, "Living Landscapes" and Puffins: An Artist's Sketchbook. His work has also illustrated many other publications.[7]

Life and work

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Derek Robertson was born near St Andrews, Fife, Scotland . While at the High School of Dundee[8] he attended weekend art classes by James MacIntosh Patrick before completing a BA (Hons) in drawing and painting at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee.[9] On graduating in 1989[10] he was commissioned by HarperCollins to write and illustrate his first book, "Highland Sketchbook" which was nominated for the McVities Prize.[11] He was then commissioned by Grampian Television to present a program about his work for the series "Portrait of The Wild".[12] He went on to write and present a series of four, half-hour programs for Grampian TV/STV entitled "Drawn From Wild Places".[13] He has won several awards, including the RSW Small Painting Prize, Glasgow Art Club Fellowship[14] and John Gray Award.[15] He has illustrated many publications, most notably "Song of The Rolling Earth" and "Nature's Child" by the nature writer Sir John Lister-Kaye. He exhibits mainly in the UK, but also overseas and his work is held in public and private collections internationally.[16] His wildlife work is noted for his use of outdoor sketching from life[17] and for often using the unusual technique of watercolour on linen.[18] He has served on the selection and hanging committees for a number of the exhibiting societies in Scotland and on the council of the Aberdeen Artists Society.[19] He has worked on collaborative projects with the poets Valerie Gillies[20] and Rody Gorman.[21] as well as being appointed Artist in Residence at Tentsmuir Nature Reserve and working on numerous collaborative projects with scientists and other creative practitioners.

Wildlife research

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Derek Robertson is an amateur wildlife researcher. He is a licensed bird ringer and has assisted many research projects which have resulted in co-authored publications including a collaborative research project on farmland finches with the BTO.[22] His own studies have also been published in scientific papers[23] and he has illustrated and edited a number of papers and publications including the Fife Bird Atlas.[24] He has accompanied research expeditions to Africa and Scandinavia and to seabird islands such as St Kilda, the Shiant Isles and Handa Island which have all featured in his paintings.[25] He has served on many research and conservation committees including the Isle of May Bird Observatory,[26] the Tay Ringing Group, and the BTO council and ringing committee.

References

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  1. ^ "Robertson.html". Artist-registry.stanford.edu. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Article : DEREK ROBERTSON EXHIBITION - St Fergus Gallery, Wick". Arts.Caithness.Org. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Around Scotland", The Scots Magazine Dundee. p624, June 1995
  4. ^ Cyril Gerber, In conversation with Peter Hill. Alba Magazine Edinburgh ,Summer 1999 p48
  5. ^ Wild in de Natuur,exhibition catalogue t' Kunsthuis van het Oosten, Enschede, Nederlands, 2009 p31
  6. ^ New Books, Scots Magazine,Edinburgh, February 2001, p143
  7. ^ Art and Observation, Scottish Bird News, Aberlady, p4 No 88 June 2008
  8. ^ Former Pupils http://www.archive.highschoolofdundee.org.uk/Filename.ashx?tableName=ta_publications&columnName=filename&recordId=162
  9. ^ Birds in Art exhibition catalogue 'Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wasau, Wisconsin USA 2001 p101
  10. ^ "Biography of Derek ROBERTSON | Anthony Woodd Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland". Anthonywoodd.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  11. ^ Alan macLeod, Painting Paradise, Kingdom Magazine, Dalgety Bay, Fife, Issue 8 spring 2005, p30-31.
  12. ^ Deirdre Gillespie, Drawn from Wild Places, Scottish Field Edinburgh, June 1995 pp. 14-17
  13. ^ Drawn From Wild Places, Preview, Kelvingrove Museums, Glasgow, July–September 1995 p6
  14. ^ "Fife artists honoured by Society of Painters in Watercolour". The Courier. 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  15. ^ "Artists' stroke of genius! - Local Headlines". Fife Today. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  16. ^ "Derek Robertson, British wildlife illustrations, birds artist, wildlife illustrations, natural history drawings, wildlife art". Wildlife Art Company. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  17. ^ A Walk on The Wild Side, Artists and Illustrators Magazine,London, October 1999 pp. 42-43
  18. ^ Painting with Gouache on Linen, Artists and Illustrators Magazine,London, January 2001 pp. 24-24
  19. ^ AAS Annual Exhibition Catalogue, Issue 74, 2008, Aberdeen
  20. ^ Valerie Gillies, The Chanter's Tune, Canongate, Edinburgh pp. 15-19
  21. ^ Ruairidh agus Ruairidh eile, STanza Scottish International Poetry Festival Programme 2012, St Andrews, cover and p. 12
  22. ^ Calladine et al. BTO News Issue 247 July–August 2003, pp. 10-11
  23. ^ "Tay Ringing Group - Ornithology conservation charity - bird and habitat research into their biodiversity, population or environment". Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  24. ^ "The SOC: Fife Bird Atlas". Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  25. ^ Neil Glenn, Scotland's Migrant Magnet, Birds Illustrated, Vol. 5 Issue 4. Summer 2008, Peterborough, pp. 45-49.
  26. ^ Ringing Report, Isle of May Annual Report, 1999

Further reading

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  • Mansfield, Susan (16 August 2008). "Where The Wild Things Are". Edinburgh: The Scotsman, Critique. p. 7. Describes Derek Robertson is never happier than when painting in the great outdoors. Exhibition review.
  • Stuart, Glenn (Autumn 2001). "A Studio Under The Sky". Edinburgh: The Scottish Wildlife Trust Magazine. p. 14. {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help) Describes Derek Robertson's latest book is a beautifully produced, limited edition that portrays a personal and intimate view of creatures in the wild. Review.
  • Zealand, Gillian (16 August 2008). "A Studio Under The Sky". Aberdeen: Braemar Gathering Magazine. p. 26. Describes Gillian Zealand meets wildlife artist Derek Robertson. Review.
  • Robertson, Derek (1992). Highland Sketchbook (hardback). Bishopbriggs: HarperCollins. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-00-434590-1. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) Describes A Year In Glen Esk
  • Robertson, Derek (2001). A Studio Under The Sky. Dunfermline: Woodlands Studios. p. 152. ISBN 978-0-9539393-2-9. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) Describes Paintings and sketches by the artist.
  • Robertson, Derek (2009). Otters. An Artist's Sketchbook (softback). Aberdeen: Woodlands Studios. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-9539324-1-2. Retrieved 15 April 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) Describes book. Paintings and observations of otters.
  • Lister-Kaye, Sir John (2004). Nature's child (hardback). London: Little, Brown / Time Warner. p. 193. ISBN 978-0-316-72731-0. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) Describes book. Illustrated by the artist.
  • Lister-Kaye, Sir John (2003). Song of The Rolling Earth (hardback). London: Time Warner. p. 332. ISBN 978-0-316-86176-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) Book Illustrated by the artist
  • Robertson, Derek; Boon, A. Williams, O. Sainsbury, J. McPhail, R. Lambert, t. Hoskyns, B. Gudgeon, S. Sykes, K. (2007). Grouse. An Artists' View (hardback). Shrewsbury: Swan Hill Press/ Quiller Press. pp. 130–143 & 151. ISBN 978-1-84689-019-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help); External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Book. Images of grouse. Paintings and writing by the artist.
  • Daichies, D., ed. (199). Tam O' Shanter. A Tale (hardback) (in English and Scots). Edinburgh: Moubray House Publishing. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-948473-17-3. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help) Book. Illustrations by the artist.
  • Stroud, Ken (Winter 2001). "Wildlife Sketchbook (periodical)". Wildscape Magazine. The Wildlife Art Society International. pp. 4–5. The artist works extensively in the field... {{cite news}}: External link in |publisher= (help) Description: review by editor of Wildscape magazine describing artist's working technique.
  • Gage, Edward (June 1992). "Gestural Empathy of a Poet (broadsheet)". The Scotsman. large series of emphatically detailed observations. Description: exhibition review
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