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

"Margin (Lioness)" travels to Bennington, Vermont Art of the Animal Kingdom XVIII Bennington Center for the Arts Bennington, Vermont June 15 - August 25, 2013 "Margin (Lioness)" Graphite Pencil on Arches #300 watercolor paper 5 x 19 Robert's drawing "Margin (Lioness)" has been selected to appear at the 2013 Art of the Animal Kingdom exhibitions, June 15 through August 25, 2013, in Bennington, Vermont. The Bennington Center for the Arts brings world-class fine art, history and theatre to the residents and visitors of Southwestern Vermont. The center's permanent art collection, sales exhibitions, live theatre and exhibits within the Covered Bridge Museum are available throughout the year. Considered one of the most prestigious wildlife exhibitions in the country, this year's Art of the Animal Kingdom features 65 pieces of art. Carel Brest van Kempen is this year's special guest artist and juror of the exhibi...

A conservation project in the making... Over the last two weeks I have been working with a producer to create a unique video for a project that I hope will raise $1650 for African Wildlife Trust to help in the anti-poaching campaign for elephants. Below is our "test" video of my current piece on the drawing board, "Three Camels." We still have some issues to resolve especially a consistent light source which means I will probably have to block my window for the duration of this project but it for a good cause. This project will raise $1650  through  the sale of a special Conservation Limited Edition print and DVD package that my producer and myself are collaborating on. I will have more details coming out in the next two-three weeks but to give you a bit of the idea behind this, there will be only 33 prints. Through this campaign I personally hope to raise $1650 and then have a call to action that will raise an additional...

November 7, 2012 Two lions spotted at Silale Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Africa Field Sketch Another field sketch drawn while in Africa, I delivered this to one of my collectors just a few weeks ago. I drew this little sketch back in my tent the night after we had the fortune of seeing two female lions on the edge of Silale swamp which doesn't look like a swamp. This sketch was the "warm up" for my drawing "Margin (Lion)" (I'll post about this drawing later). The collector who received this was extremely gracious enough to lend me his very nice camera body for my adventure in Africa, I asked him what I could give him in return and he said a lion. Well I of course couldn't bring a lion home but I could create a sketch of what I saw, two magnificent lions in the tall grasses of Africa. My collector was pleasantly surprised and asked if he could lend me his camera for my next adventure.

To a friend who loves cats! I had the honor and privilege last night to have dinner with a collector of my art who is also a very dear friend and present her with this field sketch from Africa. She was caught completely off guard because she had no idea that she was getting the sketch. I thought it was the least I could do since she has supported me over these many years not just with adding a few of my pieces to her collection but by telling me again and again that my work was good enough even when I thought different. This sketch was drawn in my tent the second night after I had the great fortune to have seen two female lions just on the rim of Silale swamp  which doesn't really look like a swamp. After another great day of game drives, a fantastic sunset by the fire pit with a glass of wine at Kikoti Camp and a superb dinner I went back to my tent to do a little sketching. The funny part about this little story was that I was awoken early in the morning, 4:30am, by a very...

Commission wanted! I just received word from my editor that they are looking for one more drawing for my book titled “Draw Realistic Animals; Wildlife, Pets & More.” This book is being released in June 2014 and each drawing will be demonstrated in the book step by step. What I am I looking for is a portrait type piece to draw of a Dog with medium to long hair. If you in the Richmond, Virginia area we can do a quick photo shoot with your dog, if you do not live in the Richmond area then a very good reference photo will be required. The image will need to be clear and have very good lighting, it must have shadows. The drawing will be roughly around 6 x 9 on Arches 300# watercolor paper as all of my drawings are with the same level of finish as you seen in my other work. I will give a 10% discount from my commission price of the drawing as well as your drawing being featured in the book as a demo. If you are interested in having a commission of your dog created, having that draw...

I apologize for not posting in awhile but I have been working long hours in the studio on an up coming book project. Here is a work in progress image of the current drawing on my drafting table, a Red-headed Agama Lizard. More Soon....

A Collector's sketch... "Zebras at Kikoti Watering Hole" Graphite Pencil on Arches 300# Watercolor paper 4 x 6 This is one of the sketches that I did while I was in Africa for a collector who commissioned a painting from me on my return. Each collector who commissioned a painting or drawing based on my adventure receives a sketch that was drawn while I was in Africa. As the title suggests these are Zebra's that I had the fortune of seeing just outside of Kikoti camp at the watering hole. As we came out of camp in the Land Cruiser we saw flashes of black & white over by the watering hole and stopped to see what we could see. In the hour that we stayed there we must have witnessed over 300 Zebras come and go from this watering hole, just amazing!