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

Work in progress... A quick update on the "Dam Painting."  I have finished drawing in the under drawing and believe that it is now ready to have some color added to it! Although I more than likely will not do that for a couple of more weeks, after school starts back in so that I can have larger blocks of time to paint. Until then you can see the finished under drawing below and I will get to work on the next under drawing for another painting, this one is of a beautiful roof line from Charleston , South Carolina.

Work in Progress… “Dam Painting ( Great Blue Heron ),” Oil on panel, 30 x 40 – Under drawing stage (in progress) I have wanted to paint this scene from the moment that I was standing at the base of the Keystone Dam which is just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma over 2 years ago. I spent a morning there capturing as much reference as possible of White Pelicans and Great Blue Herons that where fishing at the bottom of the dam in the spill way. This dam was huge and I was just awed by its size, it helped that I was at the base of the dam looking up and over the great expanse of it. Couple that with the fact that you know that there is all this water behind that great wall of concrete exerting pressure against the other side of it makes you feel small. It was this feeling of being small, positioned at the base of this huge edifice exerting an immense sense of pressure behind it in this painting that I wanted to convey in my composition.. It has taken me almost 8 months of playing with th...

Presenting... "Keystone King (American White Pelican) " Graphite pencil, 6 x 10 I finished this drawing up early this week, sealed it, matted it and got it into its frame. This drawing is slated to go to Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma in March for my Solo exhibit and painting demonstration, ironically the reference for this piece came from my visit to the gallery last year. I have not created a graphite drawing in awhile and it was nice to do so, as you'll read below as soon as I saw the reference for this piece I knew it had to be a black and white piece. I really wanted the extreme white of the pelican to pop off of the paper so I had to push the background back some to accomplish this. I did that by making the water darker than it was and taking away all highlights in the water. Off to start the next piece! In March 2010, I was visiting Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a painting demonstration and was fortunate enough to take a drive through the cou...

Back in the Studio... I have been away from my studio for several weeks now and am just now getting back into the swing of things. I have a painting started on my easel but have away from it for so long now that I’m not sure where I left off. So with that in mind I am getting back to work not standing at my easel but sitting at my drafting table working on a drawing of a White Pelican. I captured the reference for this while I was out visiting Lovetts Gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma last March. I was told that Bald Eagles had been spotted up at Keystone dam and that is why I had drove to the dam. I was pleasantly surprised to see five white Pelicans, instead of the Eagles, at the base of the spill way looking for some breakfast. This was my first time actually observing White Pelicans in the wild and was thrilled to have the chance to capture some reference, actually a lot of reference! The image below is the beginning of my new drawing of one of the White Pelicans. This piece was b...

Once again I thoroughly enjoyed traveling out to Tulsa, Oklahoma visiting with my fellow artist, friends, collectors, and art enthusiast! It was an extremely busy week, first with a LIVE painting demonstration at Lovetts Gallery and then exhibiting at the 2010 Natureworks Wildlife art show & Sale. The Lovetts Gallery Live painting demonstration was a great success with visitors in the gallery and people tuning in on the internet on “Over the Artists shoulder” my Ustream channel . Thank you to Jack and Waylon of Lovetts gallery for giving me the opportunity to paint at the gallery. I enjoyed answering all the questions of people in the gallery and from around the world on the internet. This was the first time that I have done a live broadcast and honestly was a bit nervous about it but overall I believe that it was a great success and look forward to doing it again. Jack and Waylon, you have a beautiful gallery, again thank you for that opportunity! Set-up for Live paint...

Time to get in the truck and drive out to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a gallery visit at Lovetts Gallery and then to exhibit at the Natureworks Wildlife Art show & Sale . Live painting demonstration Lovetts Gallery 6528 E. 51st ST Tulsa, Oklahoma February 24, 2010 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. I will join Lovetts Gallery Wednesday, February 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for a live demonstration. The piece above, "Ramsey's Porch (Mourning Dove)," is in the under drawing stage of the painting process and will be the painting that I will work on while at Lovetts Gallery . If you can’t make it to the gallery for the demonstration then please visit me throughout the day on my Ustream channel, “Over the Artists Shoulder” where we will be streaming the demo all day. For more information about Lovetts Gallery , call 918.664.4732, visit http://www.lovettsgallery.com/ or find them on Facebook and Twitter . Please visit Robert's news page on his website for more details. (Map to...