Red Squirrel
Robert Bateman Hand Signed Limited Edition Print 10.875″ x 17″
Edition Size: 950
“Red squirrels, or their close cousins, are found all over the northern hemisphere, wherever there are coniferous trees. They are very active – scampering, jumping and climbing throughout the day. They seem to be either moving full tilt or in a ‘freeze alert’ position. This is the pose I have chosen for this painting. Although a red squirrel is not easy to see when it is motionless, for some unaccountable reason it gives itself away by nervously flicking its tail. I have tried to imply the whiplash motion by bringing out the rhythmic curves in the tail. I put it in a red pine because the russet gray of the bark complimented the squirrel’s coat. There were interesting lighting problems in this painting. Inside the enclosure of the pine foliage very little light came from above. However, in winter, the white of the snow under the tree reflects light from below. The branches on the right are outside the canopy and, therefore, their light comes from above.” Robert Bateman
(From the original painting Red Squirrel, 1982, 11.5″ x 18″ Acrylic on Masonite)
