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

The second layer is finished on the clouds which is a majority of this piece. It took about three days to paint all the clouds and all I will have to do are some minor adjustments to the "happy" clouds when I am finished with the rest of the piece.

I apologize for not posting in so long but I have had nothing tangible to show. I have had my head buried in the dark side of the studio... the business side. And I am sure that no one wants to see files being organized, preparation for taxes, reference photos being sorted through and then categorized. Although I did compose five new pieces that will take shape over the next couple of months. Composing on mass usually happens when I go through my references. As for something tangible... below is my progress on "Blue" which has to be finished with in the next week because it is going to the "Art at the Mill" show in Millwood Virginia. Also the canvas has been toned for the little nuthatch on the plow piece.

My next painting is ready for paint. Once again the setting is that of a barn. I love the challenge of painting the different textures of a surface that is well... deteriorating. You have the bumpy grain of the wood then the smoothness of the paint along with the irregular cracks and parts that are actually peeling. The nuthatch is perched on an old plow handle that has deep aged wood grains which are emphasized by the sun light. I love the composition of this one. I feel that the diagonal of the plow handle breaks up the monotony of the vertical boards in the background and that the horizontal board on the bottom gives it just enough visual foundation.

The Masterworks in Miniature show is now open at Gallery One in Mentor, Ohio. Visit http://www.galleryone.com/ where the whole show can be seen on the web. My piece "September Leaves, Tufted Titmouse" is one of 150 pieces in the show.