A Robert Bateman painting to help welcome the new year.
Happy new year! And what better way to celebrate than with a gift of artwork from world-renowned artist and naturalist Robert Bateman?“A few years ago, my wife Birgit and I were treated to a rare privilege. We were permitted to visit the panda reserve at Wolong in the Szechwan Province of China. Intrepid tourists do visit the captive breeding centre in the valley but very few have been allowed to climb into the panda reserve, especially in winter.
“As we neared the Schaller hut, the huge old-growth trees were covered with freshly fallen snow of the previous night. One tree in particular caught my eye. Since 2013, the foundation has been connecting people to nature through art at the Bateman Gallery, in the historic Steamship Terminal building at the Inner Harbour of Victoria — the traditional lands of the Lekwungen People, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations.