From Watching His Videos to Meeting Him: My Day with Robert E. Fuller

It has been a while since I last wrote a blog! A lot has happened since then, especially with my photography, art, and wildlife adventures. Over the summer, I had an experience that I had been looking forward to for months: I got to meet Robert E. Fuller.

But before I tell you about meeting him, I have to go back to where this story actually started.

About a year ago, I started wondering if I could turn some of my wildlife photos into drawings and paintings. I thought it would be a fun challenge, so I decided to try it. I used one of my owl photos and started sketching. First, I drew the basic pencil outline and then began to paint. When I finished, I thought my painting looked pretty good. After that, I wanted to explore not just taking photos of birds, but drawing and painting them too.

A few months after I started drawing from photos, I saw a YouTube video about an artist named Robert E. Fuller. He would spend weeks observing a single nest or even a single bird, learning all about its habits before painting it. As I looked at some of his paintings, I was amazed by how realistic they were. He would spend so much time on each painting, and when he was finished, it looked almost exactly like the real thing.

I was so inspired by his paintings that I began learning how to make my own drawings more precise and detailed by using techniques like shading and layering. After watching those videos, I became even more interested in creating art from my wildlife photos.

When we were planning our trip to England and Scotland over the summer, I realized that Robert E. Fuller lived in Yorkshire and that his gallery was there too. I immediately went to my parents and asked if we could visit the gallery and possibly meet him. We reached out to the staff, and they were so kind and gracious. They told us they would try to have Robert at the gallery when we visited.

When we got to the gallery and I stepped inside, the first things I saw were colorful pictures of the wildlife around Robert’s home and gallery. But when I stepped a little closer and looked at what I thought was a photo of a kingfisher, I realized that it was not actually a photo at all. It was one of Robert’s paintings! I looked around and saw beautiful paintings everywhere that looked just like the real thing. I even recognized my favorite painting hanging among them.

The staff then offered to show us more of Robert’s gallery and studio. I saw all sorts of paintings and information about the birds and animals that lived around the property. On one wall, I saw camera feeds showing ponds and nests, and I realized that Robert had created natural habitats where many different species could thrive. I also saw a painting he was working on. I could see how he layered colors on top of each other and blended them together to make the fur and feathers look real.

When we went back downstairs, we started talking to the staff. Robert had been out in the field filming birds that day, and we were hoping we might still get a chance to meet him. Then, just as we were talking, Robert walked right in!

He greeted us with a warm smile and asked us how we were doing. He said hello to me, and soon we were talking about nature and art.

Around that time, I had been working on a drawing of a Great Gray Owl that I had seen in Minnesota. I showed Robert my drawing, and he gave me a few tips on how I could improve and finish it. We then started talking about nature, wildlife, and art.

As I was talking to him, I was so excited. I was finally meeting Robert E. Fuller! I thought about how I had gone from seeing one of his YouTube videos and being inspired by his paintings to actually standing there in his gallery and talking to him about my own art.

Robert told me about how he had created habitats around his property, including tree hollows that were perfect for owls to nest in. He also explained how important it is for him to study an animal before painting it. By observing it, he can learn its habits, how it behaves, and where it is most likely to be.

Talking to Robert also made me think more about what I want to do with my own photography. Photos and paintings can show how beautiful wildlife is, but they can also help people learn about animals and care about protecting them.

I came out of the gallery having learned so many things. I learned new techniques that I could use in my art, I learned more about how Robert creates habitats for wildlife, and I learned how he uses his paintings to raise awareness about the animals he cares about.

And now here I am. I have finished the Great Gray Owl drawing that I showed Robert that day, and I am still following his work from the other side of the world.

Great Gray Owl - Minnesota

I will always remember meeting Robert. I thought I might get to meet him for fifteen minutes, but instead, he spent almost an hour talking with us. I am very thankful to Robert and the team for taking the time to meet me and share what he has learned, and to my family for making this amazing experience possible.

And finally, thank you to everyone who has been reading my blog and supporting me along the way. There is still so much I want to learn, photograph, draw, and do for wildlife. And I can't wait to see where this journey takes me next.