Robert Gillmor (1936-)
Robert Gillmor, ornithologist, artist and author was born in Reading, Berkshire. Educated in his home town, he studied fine art at Reading University. After a short career as a teacher, he became a freelance wildlife artist and illustrator. From an early age, Gillmor held a keen interest in ornithology and was a founder member of the Society of Wildlife Artists of which he remains an active member. He has also served on the council of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Ornithologist's Union and the British Trust for Ornithology. His skills as a wildlife artist are recognised world wide and he is considered one of the foremost bird artists of his generation. Gillmor specialises in watercolours, lino cuts
and book illustrations and his work has been included
in over 100 books. His first work was published
when he was just sixteen. His artwork has been exhibited
in Britain, the United States and Kenya.
The Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is an attractive medium-sized gull. It breeds in large colonies around sections of the British coastline, mainly on cliffs where its cry sounds like 'kitti-waaark', from which the common name derives. Current estimates suggest there are about 490,000
breeding pairs in Britain. It is most abundant in
areas of north Scotland and the North Sea coasts.
In recent years there appears to have been a decline
in numbers in Shetland.
The Robert Gillmor Drawings Collection The drawings of Robert Gillmor are from a collection of paintings of 50 British birds by British artists that were commissioned by the British Museum (Natural History) for a series of coloured postcards in 1980. Whilst many of the drawings are relatively small, they represent some of the best illustrations of birds by accomplished artists of the time. The other illustrations of Gillmor’s in the collection
are of Puffins, a Shelduck and an Avocet.
Exhibition and publication details Apart from the postcard series, this drawing has
not been on public display.
References and further reading Holden, P.; Cleeves, T. (2002) RSPB Handbook of British Birds. Helm; London. 303pp.
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