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

Work in Progress… Cardinal painting on Finial I am back at my easel today after some much needed time off. Rested and eager to get back to work I started in on the second layer of color on my Cardinal painting this morning and the background is now done. Before my vacation I was able to get the first layer of color blocked in on the cardinal, lots of pale brown plumage with those warm reddish tinges in the wings, tail and crest. Did you know that only a few female North American songbirds sing and that the female Cardinal is one of them? She will do this often while on her nest giving the male information on when to bring food to the nest. The most common sound that you hear from a cardinal is the loud, metallic “chip.” This is used to warn off intruders to the cardinal’s territory and from the posture of the cardinal in my painting I would say that we just missed that “chip” call and she is now looking at us with a look of, “did you not hear me the first time?”   

Work in Progress... Cardinal Painting on Finial The current painting on my easel is that of a female cardinal on a concrete finial that decorates a brick pillar outside of one the many historic houses on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. The painting is currently in the first block in of color stage and just has the cardinal left to be painted, which will be done shortly. Finials are used as architectural elements commonly seen at the apex of a gable, along the top and corners of buildings to serve as decorative motif. We see smaller finials today used as curtian rod ends and on furniture but they were once belived to act as a deterent to witches. Apparently a witch on a broomstick could not land on a persons roof that had a finial. Hmmmm..... I see the making of title at hand!