Badger-loving artist all sett for exhibition

Wildlife artist Robert Fuller spent more than 50 nights in a cramped hide to observe and photograph a clan of wild badgers.

He took more than 1,000 photographs of the nocturnal creatures to help him produce a stunning set of paintings of them.

Elusive badgers are normally only seen as they forage in the moonlight by the most enthusiastic of nature watchers.

Now wildlife fans who are not lucky enough to come face to face with the loveable creatures are invited to try the next best thing.

The celebrated artist is unveiling his new collection of detailed oil paintings of one of Britain's largest native mammals.

The paintings are the result of him spending the past year watching and recording the movements of a clan of 14 badgers on the Yorkshire Wolds.

Mr Fuller is displaying his colour show at his gallery and studio at Fotherdale Farm in Thixendale, near Driffield.

Mr Fuller, who is one of Britain's foremost wildlife artists, said it had been a privilege to be able to get so close to the badgers.

He said: "These intensive field studies involved over 50 nights watching and recording the behaviour of the inhabitants of the sett - the badgers' home.

"It was a fantastic experience to witness the day to day lives of the badgers and I hope that I have captured all of that in the paintings.

"There were four badger cubs in the clan and I photographed them from their very first outing in April through to their maturity this winter."

Mr Fuller uses the many photographs that he takes of his wildlife subjects to get the intrinsic detail into his paintings.

His latest exhibition will include photographic story boards detailing his observations of the East Yorkshire Wolds badger sett.

He said: "Among them is the story of an attempt in summer by a rebellious male to overthrow the clan leaders and a battle to survive the autumn drought.

"I hope visitors to the exhibition will find the paintings an enchantingly fresh look at these secretive and often comical looking, animals."

Mr Fuller added: "Despite popular belief, badgers don't hibernate in winter and a glimpse of their distinctive black and white coats against the snow as they forage in the moonlight is a rare delight.

"Those people who aren't lucky enough to see one in the wild this season, should come along to the exhibition for the next best thing."

The exhibition runs from November 14 to 29 and is open daily from 11am to 4.30pm.