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By the age of 15, Robert Fuller had left school and, largely on the merit of his portfolio, was accepted on a 2 year BTEC national diploma course in art and design at York College for Art and Technology.

"After having a less than positive experience at school, art college was brilliant. Finally I could dedicate every day to doing what I loved best," says Robert.

It took him some time to adjust to the strict regime, however. To his horror, he was banned from painting any wildlife and set to work on wide variety of subjects - from life drawing to jewellery design.

"We would practise tonal values, light and shade, perspectives and ellipses until we had perfected them. I found the size and scale of the projects terrifying. I had been used to doing small and highly detailed drawings mainly in pen and ink. Now I was expected to produce full colour drawings on A1 size canvases and larger."

Robert was the youngest on his course by a long way. Most of the students had come onto the course after completing their A-Levels and were 18 or 19 with all the confidence that sixth form had given them. Robert Fuller, whose July birthday made him young for his year, had only just turned 16.

But he found all the encouragement and support he needed to flourish."After years of being the bottom of class at school and the recipient of teachers' and students' rebukes, I was now gaining confidence in myself and in my work.

"Although I found it frustrating not being allowed to paint wildlife, I gained a grounding in technique that proved to be of great value in later years."

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Robert Fuller went on to study wildlife illustration at Camarthen College of Art and Technology in Wales. It was one of the only courses in the UK to focus on wildlife.

With hindsight, claims Robert, he would have been better off continuing to broaden his skills and techniques on a more general art course rather than specialising so early.

"Even back then I had little interest in illustration per se. I wanted to be a proper wildlife artist. I had decided this when I was 14.'

But at last, he was painting wildlife. "I spent my days trawling the countryside for subjects and, having found them, producing a series of sketches from life. I would use these drawings as the main reference for subsequent paintings back in the studio."

"However, life drawings and wildlife do not marry well. Most of the time you only get a fleeting glimpse of your subject and you can waste a lot of time sketching impressions rather than watching the subject itself. Of course it goes without saying that the great British weather does not help!"

Meanwhile, at home, Robert's father, who was a keen photographer, had just published a book on the wildlife on the farm at home entitled 'Givendale - A Farm in Harmony with Nature'.

Fired by his father's success, Robert decided that photography was the way forward.

"With my camera, I could concentrate on capturing my subject on film first and concentrate on capturing it on canvas later, back in the studio.

'My Minolta 7000 with 70-210mm lens, although not the quickest of cameras, became an invaluable tool for my work.'

During the summer holidays Robert Fuller worked as a volunteer at Chester Zoo. It was a colourful time. His main job was to sweep out the camel enclosure and, on one occasion, he lost a tooth when a calf lashed out at him. On another, he was 'floored' by two young leopards after entering their cage at feeding time.

'The animals at Chester Zoo were my first real contact with foreign and exotic species and I was fascinated," says Robert.

"I was, and still am, an avid wildlife documentary fan and it was fantastic to get so close to the animals in the flesh, in fact it would often be a bit too close!

"It was fascinating to get the behind the scenes view of zoo life and see how zoo life connects to remote habitats around the world.

"I never imagined that I would one day travel to Africa and India and see the same animals and birds in the wild."

Robert Fuller was awarded 'Student of the Year' when he graduated in 1994.

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On the last day of term, Robert Fuller packed up his paintings and set off home. On the way he stopped off at Chester Zoo and sold over £1000 worth of paintings, mainly to the staff at the zoo.

This was his first major sale, and its success reaffirmed that his chosen career could be sustainable. Robert used the money to set up a business, trading under the name 'Natural Images.' Robert's first few commissions came from family friends. One commission lead to another, which in turn lead to a third and a fourth.

EXHIBITIONS

Robert Fuller's first exhibition was at 'Talent's Fine Arts' in Malton and it was a sell out. The gallery were keen for to sign him up for another exhibition the following spring. "I was on my way," says Robert.

But Robert Fuller's first big break came when a journalist from a national magazine came to Givendale to write an article on his father.

As they were sitting chatting in the kitchen, the journalist asked about the paintings of wildlife on the wall. On being told about Robert's ambitition to be a wildlife artist, the journalist went up to Robert's studio and interviewed Robert as well.

In the resulting piece, he compared Robert Fuller to Rodger McPhail, the artist whose work graces Finest Scotch Whiskey's 'Famous Grouse' bottles.

Under a year later, at the age of 20, Robert Fuller was exhibiting alongside McPhail in Paris' La Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature.

The same journalist introduced Robert Fuller to theTryon Gallery in London, where he then exhibited his work for two years.

"I sold four of my originals on the opening night to an American collector. They were my first works to go overseas," comments Robert.

But it was Robert's sheer determination and hard graft that really earned him his success. He spent the next six years dragging his easel around the country to a total of 16 summer game fairs and agricultural shows .

It was hard work and sometimes for little return, but it earned him recognition and a number of commissions, so that when he decided to put on his own show at home it was a resounding sucess.

"I had been so focused on producing the originals and organising the show, that it was a huge surprise when people actually wanted to buy the pictures! We didn't even have any change and only had a plastic bag for a till!"

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By this time, Robert's business was expanding both financially, his original paintings were selling well, and physically, as he was fast outgrowing his room at his parent's house.

"In fact my things were in the garage, the spare room, the kitchen, the pantry - everywhere! It was time to find a place of my own."

Robert's girlfriend, Victoria (now his wife and business partner) was in her final year at university and so they started looking for a suitable place, which needed to have the space for a home, as well as space to paint and exhibit Robert's work permanently.

Even back then house prices were too high for an artist's wage and so, says Robert, 'We found the perfect farmhouse to rent 5 miles from Givendale, half a mile from the village of Thixendale.

"There were no neighbours to worry about when cars turned up and parked outside at exhibition times, plenty of space for a gallery and studio, and lots of wildlife in the surrounding fields. Also it wasn't too far from Givendale, so I would not have to start finding customers all over again.'"

The new set up was so successful that Robert found he spent more and more time running the gallery and less at the easel.

Says Robert, "I was delighted when Victoria offered to work full time and see to the business side of things."

Victoria set to work setting up a mail-order service and organising a successful greeting card spin-off to the business.

Now Robert Fuller was holding two exhibitions a year at Fotherdale, one in spring and one in November, attracting up to 1000 people a time.

But space was tight. Visitors had to tramp through the house to get up to the gallery and studio, which were on the first floor.

By 2001 Robert and Victoria were desperate for extra space, not only for their exhibitions, but also for the mail-order side of the business which was now thriving.

They learnt about the Rural Enterprise Scheme run by DEFRA and made an application to convert the redundant buildings next to Fotherdale Farm into a large 60ft gallery and adjoining workshops.

"We were delighted to be successful and work started immediately so that we would have the new gallery and workrooms open in time for my November exhibition. The five months of building flew by and we were ready just hours before the opening night!'

"My bi-annual exhibitions at Fotherdale Farm continue to be very well attended, with 2,750 people coming to my last show."

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In 1998 Robert and Victoria flew to Zimbabwe. It was his first visit to Africa and he returned brimming with enthusiasm for the wildlife had seen.

He promptly set about planning his next visit, this time as a working wildlife artist..

"It was a risk. I had spent the last 8 years selling paintings of British wildlife. I wasn't sure African wildlife would sell."

Robert and Victoria returned to Africa in 2000 for 3 week self-drive safari across Botswana on makeshift roads. They were utterly absorbed by the game and spent every waking hour following wildlife through the bush.

On his return Robert Fuller produced a flurry of paintings of zebra, lion, leopard and an impressive bronze elephant sculpture.

"As it turned out, I needn't have worried. The African paintings were the first to sell at the following exhibition.

Since then Robert has visited South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka, South Georgia, Antarctica and Finland to watch and collect reference material for his paintings.

"In the last three years, I have been lucky enough to spend more and more time in the field, both in the UK and abroad, watching and photographing my next painting subjects".

"Meanwhile the wildlife around Fotherdale gets better and better and many of my recent paintings have been of wildlife photographed from my living room window! I've put together a small photo gallery below, containing photographs from my recent trips, which I will keep adding to over the coming years."

Right: Robert Fuller with camera photographing badgers at Cropton Forest.

Kingfishers - Near Pocklington 2003

Grey Partridges - Fotherdale Farm 2004

Roe Deer - Glasgow 2004 - Photographed in the Necropolis cemetery

Roe Doe and fawns photographed between the grave stones in the centre of Glasgow.

 

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