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

Presenting “All that Glitters” 9 x 12, Oil I am continuing this week to dust off the cobwebs from my paintbrushes with the second finished painting for 2024, titled “All that Glitters.” This is another bird from my reference gathering trip to South Texas in February 2023. And it is another bird I had not seen before, a Gold-fronted Woodpecker.  As with my last painting, I wanted to keep the background simple again, focusing on the value instead of any details. The grass behind the bird had a golden look, so I kept the color but lost all of the grass textures.  One of the distinguishing markings on the Gold-fronted Woodpecker is the yellow spot in front of its eyes and the yellow-orange nape. I wanted to play off the yellow, so I added some yellow flowers from the field where I had photographed the bird. It makes the painting sparkle, hence the title “All that Glitters.” I feel completely settled in my new studio and have my painting feet back underneath me. I am now ready to t...

Presenting “Chara Verde” 9 x 12, Oil My first painting for 2024! More importantly, it was the first painting I completed in 24 months. I would expect your response to that to be, “Twenty-four months!?” Yes, twenty-four months. I refer to the last four years as “Life Interrupted.” Let's see, it all started with the Pandemic, then the loss of my Art academy, the passing of my father, my Mother’s cancer diagnosis, my wife and I moving into a historical home, the rebuild of my new studio, my mother’s second round of cancer treatment and my grandmother in hospice. As a friend told me recently, “Life is not for the weak.” I finally got moved in and settled in my new studio at the beginning of January, and I thought it would be a great idea to create two small paintings before starting a large commission I have to do. You know, dust off the cobwebs from my paintbrushes. My commission took me to Texas in February of 2023 to capture reference photos of a Crested Caracara. I also had the opp...

The artists and students I work with have been hard at work again. Below are several new paintings and drawings in various mediums, subjects, and artistic styles from a handful of the artists I work with. I love the joy they each experience once they have completed a new piece, and as always, we work through the difficulties and frustrations of the creative process. I hope you enjoy their new pieces! Are you interested in joining a mentoring studio? Visit my Drawing and Painting Instruction website at learn.rlcaldwell.com/p/mentorship-studios . I am also a Master Mentor with Matrius, where we meet monthly to receive feedback, suggestions, and critiques on current projects. Visit my profile page on Mastrius website at mastrius.com/robert-caldwell-mentorship . Urban Landscape, Oil by Paula Smith. Thursday evening mentoring studio. Wildlife/Landscape, Oil by Pam Landreth. Tuesday morning mentoring studio. Nature/Landscape, Pastel by Sonya Richeson. Thursday evening mentoring studio. Wild...

I often say that I have the privilege of working with some very talented artists in my Mentoring Studios. Each week brings new challenges, questions, and of course, new paintings and drawings. Below are a handful of recent works that were painted and drawn by some of the artists and students I work with. You will see that there is a wide range of subjects from stilllifes, animals, people to water and sunsets and different mediums. I hope you enjoy their new pieces! Stilllife, Oil by Paula Smith. Thursday evening mentoring studio. Wildlife, African Wild Dog, Oil by Jan Priddy. Tuesday morning mentoring studio. Wildlife, Snowy Egret, Graphite Pencil by Rich Turney. Thursday morning mentoring studio. Wildlife, Goldfinch, Oil by Cindy Paris. Thursday morning mentoring studio. Sunset, Oil by Mary Lee Wetzel. Thursday morning mentoring studio. Portrait, Graphite Pencil by Katharina Robinson. Thursday evening mentoring studio. Figure, Pastel by Sonya Richeson. Thursday evening mentoring studi...

All framed and ready to go! Two paintings off to Tulsa!   Shipping new art out to a gallery is always a great feeling! My paintings “In my Father’s Shadow” and “Moraine Morning” are packaged up and headed out to Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have worked with Lovetts Gallery for the last 12 years, and I am honored to have my work included with so many other great artists. I am currently working on a few more new pieces that I plan on taking out in June. It will be great to be back in the gallery again after such a long time of being away. To see the piece that I currently have available through Lovetts visit  https://lovettsgallery.com/artists/2-dimensional/robert-caldwell "In my Father's Shadow" ​Oil on 1/2" gessoed maple panel 20 x 16 in "Moraine Morning" ​Oil on 1/2" gessoed maple panel 11 x 15 in

  “In My Fathers Shadow” Oil on ½” gessoed panel, 20 x 16 Dedicated to my father, the man who encouraged me to enjoy the adventures of life. Where even to begin with this piece? I guess I should start with the summer of 1984 when I was eleven years old, and I had just finished my first week of Boy Scout camp. It was a great week spending time outdoors, camping, and all of the other things that go with being a Boy Scout. The older scouts were getting ready to go onto their second week of Scout camp, a 100-mile canoe trip in upstate New York, and I wanted to go. My father never batted an eye, absolutely no hesitation, “yes, you should go,” he said. On the other hand, my Mom didn't breathe easily again until I retired home safe. That was the adventure that started it all, and I have been getting out and enjoying all of the adventures that life has to offer. 1984 - Getting ready to go on my first adventure! My dad, myself, and my best friend Kendall Let's fast forward 35 years lat...

NEW Painting! "Before and After (Zebras)" Oil on 1/2 in. Maple panel    16 x 12 Available through Lovetts Gallery Tulsa, Oklahoma 918.664.4732 The idea for this painting emerged one evening while I was sketching a zebra that I had spotted near the Silale swamp road in Tanzania, Africa. It was actually one of many zebra that I had seen that morning during a zebra “traffic jam.” The road next to Silale swamp runs pretty straight along the edge of the marsh, and the zebra were using the road as their route to a watering hole. As far as you could see, the zebra were nearly stacked one on top of another like dominoes, but they were kind enough to open a path so that we could drive through the herd. We slowly made our way to the head of the column as the zebra continued their journey, hardly paying us any attention at all. I seized the moment to capture reference photos from different vantage points and lighting angles but this particular scene, with the zeb...

New painting! " Disquieted Agitation (Lion)"  Oil on Board on 1/2 in. Maple panel  15 x 30  Within 11 seconds everything changed. In October 2013, I was in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, with a group of artists taking part in an elephant conservation/awareness safari hosted by African Wildlife Trust. We did indeed have a great many opportunities to observe and witness the planet’s largest land mammal. But we also had the fortune to see myriad other species including the king himself, the lion. Out of my two trips to Tanzania, this particular moment that I have captured here is probably one of my most remarkable. It went from a calm, serene scene, almost boring, to intense agitation in the matter of seconds. I was fortunate enough to capture the changing moment with my camera. My fellow artist and professional photographer friend, James Gary Hines II , and I were standing up and out of the roof of the Land Cruiser photographing two lions by a baobab ...

Playing catch up! I have finished several new pieces over the last few weeks in preparation for the exhibition that I was part of at the Irving Arts Center in Irving Texas a week ago. Presenting... "Longhorn" Graphite pencil on watercolor paper 7 x 11 "Bobwhite (Northern Bobwhite)" Oil on 1/2"maple panel 20 x 16 "Baboon Skull" Graphite Pencil on Arches 300# watercolor paper 4 x 6 "Grey Fox" Graphite Pencil on Arches 300# watercolor paper 4 x 6   

As the end of the exhibit at Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma draws near the end I would like to share the other four paintings that I unveiled at the "Out on a Whim" exhibit. The previous four paintings that were unveiled can be seen on my previous posting, "A Few New Paintings." "Last Snow ( Belted Kingfisher )," Oil on 1/2" prepared maple panel, 9 x 12 "Keystone ( Great Blue Heron )," Oil on 1/2" prepared maple panel, 30 x 40 "Woolaroc Visitor ( Lark Sparrow )," Oil on 1/2" prepared maple panel, 8 x 16 "Feathered Finials ( Rock Pigeons )," Oil on 1/2" prepared maple panel, 24 x 36 The "Out on a Whim" exhibit runs through April 17th at Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for more information about the gallery please visit www.lovettsgallery.com or contact me at robert@rlcaldwell.com .  

Recently I unveiled eight new paintings at Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The exhibition was titled "Out on a Whim" which opened on March 17th and  runs through April 17th. I would like to share with a few of those pieces in this posting.   "British Attack ( Common Grackle )," Oil on 1/2 prepared maple panel, 11 x 14 The Twins! (They were separated at the gallery.)   "Two Left ( Carolina Wren )," Oil on 1/2 prepared maple panel, 8 x 10   "Two Right ( Carolina Wren )," Oil on 1/2 prepared maple panel, 8 x 10 "Shadow ( Scissor-tail Flycatcher )," Oil on 1/2 prepared maple panel, 18 x 24  

Robert Louis Caldwell & Lovetts Gallery cordially invite you to... "Out on a Whim"   Exhibition and Painting Demonstration   Lovetts Gallery   Tulsa, Oklahoma   March 17, 2012 - April 17, 2012   "Woolaroc Visitor (Lark Sparrow)," Oil on 1/2 prepared maple panel, 8 x 16 Public Opening Painting Demonstration   Saturday March 17, 2012   10am - 5pm   Robert will have 14 paintings on exhibit, eight of which are new and will be unveiled on Saturday March 17. These eight new paintings have been painted specifically for this exhibit, " Out on a Whim ," and are exclusively offered for the first time at Lovetts gallery on Saturday March 17. Many of these new paintings are inspired from Robert's previous visits to Oklahoma. For more information or directions to the gallery please click here.