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

As always this one took a little longer to get the paint on then I thought but nevertheless here it is. And again this will need to be put off to the side so that this paint layer can dry before moving on to the next and hopefully last layer of color. When I do move onto that last layer I will want to do some adjusting. The background is all on the same level and has no depth, I will bring some of the tree limbs closer to the foreground with some saturation in the color and added detail. Also I want to add some more, smaller, branches throughout the background to break up the space and give it more of a visual dance. Now back to the Ibis's painting...

I finished blocking in the first layer of color today on the two ibis's in the marsh grass. This layer will need to dry before I can move onto the 2nd and hopefully last layer of color. The next layer takes about twice as long as the first layer to paint. Now moving on to the next piece... going to plan out the colors and hopefully start mixing paint for this one today and get the first layer of color blocked in before the weekend.

Art of the Animal Kingdom XIV Opening weekend June 13 – July 26, 2009 Bennington Center for the Arts Bennington, Vermont Robert’s graphite drawing “Out of the Darkness (Saw-whet Owl)” has the honor to exhibit at one of the country's most prestigious wildlife exhibitions Art of the Animal XIV. The exhibit opens on June 13 and will run through July 26th, 2009. This year's Special Guest Artist, Terry Isaac, will be in attendance and giving talks at the opening reception on Saturday, June 13th. For information, visit http://www.benningtoncenterforthearts.org/ or call 802.442.7158.

After a nice relaxing weekend in the woods of western Virginia camping I am now back working in the studio on the Two Ibis's painting. Below is the progress of the last two days blocking in the first layer of color.

Well I finally finished up the under drawing for the piece of the two cats that I have been commissioned to paint. It took roughly 3 weeks to draw this piece in, definitely the most time consuming piece to date! I will now put this off to the side and let it rest for awhile and also wait for the collector to come by the studio and make her final approval before laying in any paint. I'm excited to now start laying in the first layer of paint on the two Ibis's piece, which also has a bunch of grass in it. After these two pieces with all the grass in them are completed, I plan to do some less intricate backgrounds!!!