He found inspiration from the Group of Seven; later, he became interested in making abstract paintings of nature, strongly influenced by the work of Franz Kline.

Robert Bateman's show in 1987, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, drew a large crowd for a living artist.

Established in 2012 by Robert Bateman, the Foundation grew from his philosophy that by helping people reconnect with nature, they will be inspired to conserve and protect it.

Through educational programs, community collaborations and Bateman Gallery exhibitions, the Foundation has influenced a generation of people to build a deeper relationship with the natural world.

When children play in nature – climb trees, build forts and dams in creeks and go exploring – here is what happens: they have less obesity, less likelihood of developing attention deficit disorder, lower rates of depression and suicide, less alcohol and drug abuse, less bullying, plus, they get higher marks…nature is magic.

They achieved their goal of distributing 33,000 free sketchbooks across the country, asking Canadians to venture outside and, in the words of Robert Bateman, “become bright-eyed three-year-olds again”.

The program is inspired by the artistic practices and personal philosophies of Robert Bateman and has been implemented in several major cities across Canada, reaching over 20,000 participants by 2023.

The couple purchased a home located on Reginald Hill Road, looking out on Fulford Harbour, that was designed by Hank Schubart and originally built for actress Eileen Brennan, (d. July 28, 2013) In the early 2000s, the Batemans moved from the Reginald Hill house to a house on a lake in Salt Spring designed by their son in law, Robert Barnard.