Mule Deer in Aspen
Robert Bateman Hand Signed Artist Proof 18.5″ x 23.75″
Edition Size: 56
“Looking at fine drawings has always brought me enjoyment, and in the case of some of the great artist such as da Vinci or Rembrandt, I often prefer their drawings to their paintings. I do like to draw, and I am always sketching, but I don’t usually treat a drawing as a finished piece. However, the work of the american artist, Paul Calle, who can take a pencil and do a complex scene with vigorous lines and a variety of textures and tones, has inspired me to try this on several occasions. “Mule Deer in Aspen” is my major attempt in this direction.
I wanted to convey this landscape using large, empty, white spaces that darken towards the top, while the dark trees are modulating in the opposite direction. Working here with pencil, I had to do all my shading in between the little light twigs. This drawing seemed to be more work than a full-fledged painting, but when it was finished, it gave me a lot of satisfaction.” Robert Bateman
(From the original painting Mule Deer in Aspen, 1986)
