Born and raised in Fife, Derek Robertson BA RSW SSA SAA IWS works from his studio in Balmerino and, since graduating from Duncan of Jordanstone Art College in Dundee in 1989, has established a name as one of the country’s foremost wildlife and landscape artists. He exhibits work in galleries around the world including regular selection in the Woodson Art Museum “Birds in Art” international show in the USA where his work is held in the permanent collection. His paintings, prints and publications are held in private collections in more than 40 countries as well as in numerous public collections including those of several British Universities, Museums and the collections of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, The Tate Galleries and The Scotland Office in London. Derek is a signature member of the elite Society of Animal Artists (USA), an elected member of the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour , the Society of Scottish Artists and the International Watercolor Society. He is winner of the Pat Holmes Memorial Prize, the Guthrie Orchar Prize, the RSW Small Painting Prize, RSW John Gray Award. RSW Scottish Art Club Fellowship and RSW Glasgow Art Club Fellowship and is a Medal Winner of the Wildlife Art Society. Winner of the Visions of Nature Award, BBC Wildlife Artist of The Year, 4- time Highly Commended and multiple Finalist in the David Shephard Wildlife Artist of The Year Awards and Finalist in the international, Golden Turtle awards Moscow 2014. Award winner 95th International Exhibition, National Watercolor Society USA 2015, collection purchase award Woodson Art Museum “Birds in Art” USA 2015, finalist ARC awards USA 2019, category winner Plein Air Magazine awards USA 2019. Derek was appointed Artist in Residence at Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve as part of Year of Natural Scotland.
Derek was awarded a VACMA award from Creative Scotland in 2020 to support a collaborative development of his project “Testaments of Loss”. His current research and book project entitled “Bho Bheul an Eòin” is suported by Scottish Natural Heritage and Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
He is regularly featured in press, radio and television. His first book, “Highland Sketchbook” was nominated for the McVities Prize. He has written and presented a number of TV programmes including a four part series, “Drawn From Wild Places” which was nominated for a Scottish Bafta and an award at the Cannes Film Festival. His latest book, entitled “A Studio Under The Sky” is a beautifully produced, limited-edition publication and has received critical acclaim from around the world. He has recently completed illustrations for new books by the celebrated wildlife and environmental writer, Sir John Lister-Kaye, entitled “Song of the Rolling Earth” and “Nature’s Child”: published by Time Warner and which became “modern day classics” of the genre. Derek regularly gives talks and demonstrations about his work, the landscape, and the wildlife that he portrays. These include prestigious presentations such as the Armistead Lecture and programmes for cruise lines.
As well as having a fascination for wildlife as an artist, Derek contributes to scientific research work as an enthusiastic amateur naturalist, researcher and bird-bander. He has developed a number of research and survey techniques that have been adopted by professional organizations. He has had his researches published in numerous scientific journals, been author and editor in many publications and serves as a volunteer on numerous research and trust committees.
Publications Include:-
Puffins, An Artist’s Sketchbook and Otters, An Artist’s Sketchbook. Woodlands Studios. Artist and Author Highland Sketchbook. Harper Collins. Artist and Author A Studio Under the Sky. Woodlands Studios. Artist and Author The Fife Bird Atlas. Woodlands Studios. Co-Editor and Illustrator Nature’s Child. By Sir John Lister-Kaye. Time Warner. Illustrator Song of the Rolling Earth. By Sir John Lister-Kaye. Time Warner. Illustrator.
Numerous covers, article and report illustrations include. British Trust for Ornithology. Scottish Natural Heritage. JNCC. RSPB. SWT. Game Conservancy Council. BASC. Scottish Annual. The Field. Scottish Field. Shooting Times. The Sunday Times. The Sunday Post. Wildscape Magazine. BBC Wildlife and many more.
Television Include:- Portrait Of The Wild. Grampian Television. Presenter , Drawn from Wild Corners. Grampian/STV. Writer and Presenter.
Scottish Passport. STV Feature/Presenter, Animate. STV. Feature Wild Scotland. BBC Feature. And features in numerous television and radio news and magazine programmes.
Press : Impressed with its interweave of symbolism and naturalism. Exquisite and evocative. Glasgow Herald. Evocative work. The Independent. A beautiful book…very impressive. A coherent body of work…both meticulous and poetic. Alba magazine. Robertson’s Beautiful Book. Finely Drawn studies..splendid. A poetic gesture not to be missed. The Scotsman. Like walking through a personal experience. The Herald. Highly acclaimed. Scots Magazine. Beautiful paintings. Sunday Post Magazine. Superb. Woman and Home. Understanding and enthusiasm for the world around him…but the lengths to which Derek is prepared to go put him in a different league. It is this sense of “being there” that is reproduced in Derek’s paintings so successfully. Scottish Field. Remarkably coherent and assured. Edinburgh List. Beautiful paintings. Sunday Post. Empathy, power and patient observation. Leopard Magazine. Wild places and highland visions. Scottish Sporting Gazette. A lyrical rendering of wild creatures and places.- The Washington Post. Captivating paintings that seem to come alive.- The Times. Outstanding talent…enchanting studies drawn out of the Scottish mists.- The Virginian. Something quite extraordinary.- Artists and Illustrators Magazine. Derek Robertson’s extraordinary sensitivity for his subjects comes across on every page.- Scots Magazine. Lyrical and evocative essays, perceptive observations…a painter of exceptional talent and sensitivity. Scottish Annual. The outstanding quality of Derek’s work is the combination of convincing realism and sympathy with his subject matter. Wildscape Magazine.