Robert Bateman's "Off The Leash" limited edition giclee canvas signed and numbered 113/180. This canvas is in mint condition.

"From an early age , I decided I that although I grew up in a big city and would always enjoy visiting cities, I would live in the country so that I could walk out my door and immediately be in nature. A dog that is reasonably well trained is a wonderful companion for walking in the country. I can't count the the happy hours that Smallwood (our Labrador retriever with a Newfoundland grandmother) and I spent exploring the fields and forests near our home or cottage. Joey Smallwood, by the way , was the first premier of the province of Newfoundland when that British colony joined Canada in 1949. The Premier was a bit of a rabble rouser, but our dog was mellow yet enthusiastic and most important for roving in nature, he was quite obedient. For this reason , I was comfortable to walk with him off the leash. Of course, he would always be ahead in the direction he guessed that I would go, but he continually checked back to make sure that he was on the right track. If I had felt it necessary to hike with him on a leash , I know that we both would have been frustrated. In this painting I have shown him briefly lying down, waiting for me to catch up. I felt that the delicate forms in the little grove of hemlocks made a good counterpoint to the solidity of Smallwood's sphynx-like figure." - Robert Bateman