By the time Robert Louis Caldwell was a senior in high school, he was taking four art classes a day and working solely in graphite and colored pencil. He went on to attend Virginia Commonwealth graduating in 2000 with a BFA in communication arts and design. Today, Robert’s passion for art and nature is showcased in his highly detailed, realistic paintings and drawings.

Never without his camera or sketchbook, Robert draws inspiration from familiar yet often unnoticed objects and scenery, particularly compelling architecture. He searches for elements that are often overlooked but provide opportunities for remarkable compositions, particularly where wildlife subjects merge with nature. He sees things through his trained eye and camera lens that most onlookers often miss.

Working from his Midlothian, Virginia studio Robert uses his own photographic references and combines those with his field studies to compose his drawings and paintings.  He states, “This is where I make the choices that affect the underlying structure of the piece.  I enjoy the challenge of creating a well-balanced composition – as if solving a problem by discovering how all the pieces fit together.”  It’s what lies beneath the surface – that which you don’t see - that makes Robert’s artwork beautiful.

Robert’s oil paintings begin with a foundation of a detailed drawing.  He then carefully adds color, layer upon layer, using the under-drawing as a value guide to create astonishing detail. He also employs his layering technique when drawing with graphite, using the hardest grade pencil first and gradually working his way to the softest grade, slowly building on the drawing, which is what gives his work great depth.

Robert’s art has appeared in numerous prestigious national exhibitions, including Birds in Art, Art of the Animal Kingdom, Art and the Animal, and NatureWorks Wildlife Art Show & Sale.  In 2009, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin — home to Birds in Art — purchased Robert’s painting Sewanee Barn (Feral Pigeons) for its permanent collection.   Most recently, his piece entitled Ramsey’s Porch (Mourning Dove) was selected for the Birds in Art exhibition. At Rest was selected for the Society of Animal Artists’ Art and the Animal exhibition, and Contemplation (Chimpanzee) was juried into the Art of the Animal Kingdom exhibition.  Several of his works have also been selected for publication in Strokes of Genius 2.  Robert is a signature member of Artists for Conservation and Society of Animal Artists.

Visit Robert's Portfolio on his website!

Read Robert's Blog, "In the Studio..."
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