In the studio with artist, photographer and instructor Robert Louis Caldwell

Completed this morning... "Sewanee Barn, Feral Pigeons" Oil, 13" x 30"

I finished "September Leaves, Tufted Titmouse" yesterday afternoon -- all that is needed is my signature and date. After it dries and is framed, this painting will be off to the Masterworks in Miniature 2008 show at Gallery One in Mentor, Ohio. The show opens Friday, February 29, and runs through March 15. For more information about the show or the gallery, please visit http://www.galleryone.com/ or call 1.800.621.1141. "September Leaves, Tufted Titmouse," Oil, 12" x 7"

Graphite drawing is my passion but the painting below is an example of why I love oil painting. The luminosity that you can achieve with oil paint is remarkable. The back light leaves just glow with sunlight which, along with the shadows of leaves on leaves, drew me to paint this piece. This is the first layer of color for this small piece and it will now have to dry for a couple of days before moving onto the next layer.

I just finished putting down the first layer of color on the pigeons which brings the whole painting up to the same level. Now I will set this of to the side for a couple of days and let the first layer dry and move onto the next painting. There are some detail shots of the pigeons since they are hard to see from the image below.

The first layer of color is finished on the barn, now onto the pigeons.

I should know by now that painting the textures of an old barn takes awhile. I hope to have the barn completed tomorrow night and be able to start the birds on Tuesday.

Happy 2008 to everyone. With the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition approaching rapidly I am starting the new year with a full palette. I had posted the start of a couple of new paintings before the holidays and below you can see the progress on two of them. I am currently working on five different paintings so over the next several weeks I will be bouncing from one to the other. Below is the painting of the blue heron leaping from a tree top. The first layer of color is complete and now drying. There are also two detail images since this painting is large. Here is the barn piece with the pigeons that I had penciled in before the holidays and is now toned. I will starting adding color to this today. On another note... last night I spent several hours with several biologists, researchers, and avid birders netting saw-whet owls. Being late in the season we where thankful to capture one. Here is an image of the little gal after she had her checkup.