Artist & Painter Rebecca Latham’s Nature & Wildlife Art

My Fox painting is just about finished – I should have it done by tomorrow afternoon or so. :)  I have been pulling some long hours and been up pretty late for the past few days , but I think it will be a much better painting for it.

Thanks so much to Wildscape Magazine!!  The UK based wildlife art magazine used a number of our paintings to illustrate an article about painting wildlife in miniature.  Very nice!!

I was just notified by a friend of mine that one of my watercolor paintings that I created last year, "Mist - Mute Swan" (pictured left), has been copied, plagiarized, by another artist.  

I find it very, very sad that a professional painter (who would know better) would choose to be so uncreative as to copy another artist’s work and ideas – not to mention the kind of role model a person like this is being to the next generation.  I am very disappointed and disgusted that we live in a world where adults behave in such an embarrassing manner.

"Lots of people know a good thing the minute the other fellow sees it first." — J. E. Hedges

I am still working on finishing my work-in-progress.  It seems to be going well.

I will be painting very late tonight…  (I guess you could call it very early too).  I am trying to finish one of my in-progress paintings (to meet a Thursday deadline).   Back to the easel…

I just returned from the Pheasants Forever and National Wild Turkey Federation’s "Family Fun Shoot".  It was great!!  I think everyone enjoyed the event.  We had a beautiful day for it too!!

I decided to paint a red fox kit for my quick draw/on the spot piece.  I finished the color sketch in a little under three hours.  The painting was used as the grand prize for the photography competition.  Congratulations to the winner!!  The photo he entered was very original and creative!

I have been working on several existing pieces today.  A number of them are almost finished.  I am going to start a new painting tonight, another swan piece. 

Here’s some information about the Mute Swan on the BBC’s website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/3029.shtml    The Mute Swan is native to Europe, but has also made it’s home here in select parts of the Eastern United States.

Out of the studio for most of the day today.  I did a little stocking up on some outdoor equipment for our next trip to Jackson, Wyoming.  If everything goes as planned, I hope to do a little plein aire work in the parks.  (I have to decide whether to work in oils or watercolors — maybe both!)

My family and I will be participating in a youth event "Family Fun Shoot" this weekend along with one of our "wildlife enthusiast" friends. :)  The 5th annual event is sponsored by Pheasants Forever and and the National Wild Turkey Federation and will be featuring many outdoor related professions and hobbies for young people to become involved in.  We will be answering questions about becoming a wildlife artists/painters and some other competitions and shows that young people can participate in.  I will also be painting an (approx.) 8×10 original piece from scratch to be given away by drawing at the close of the day.

I just received a call today that my squirrel painting "Pokin’ Around" that was in the Impressions of New England exhibit at the Bennington Center for the Arts was purchased. :)  I am hoping to send them a replacement piece, so I will be working on that soon.

Today I started working on the color phase of this bluebird painting. :)  Right now I think the full color painting is not quite far enough to post yet, but my rough sketch for the piece is pictured left.  The painting is a commission, a 5×7 miniature.

I have also been working on finishing another work in progress that has been sitting in my studio for a few months. 

I have been working on two of my existing works in progress today — one of them has just been finished, I think.  I’ll get an image of it online when I can.  The other piece should be done soon.

I’m starting to finish up on some of my pieces.  I just pulled out about a dozen or so that I would like to finish in the next month or so – of course that’s a tall order, but I’ll do what I can.

Right now I’m working on my coyote painting again.  It’s getting close to finished, but It’s one of those pieces where I’m not sure when to decide it’s complete.  I may set it aside for a short time and come back to it later with a fresh eye.

I thought this article in National Geographic may be of interest to some of you…

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0812_050812_warminganimals.html

Earlier this afternoon, we stopped for a mini photoshoot — It’s been perfectly sunny just about all day!!

We just arrived back at the studio.  I will be setting up my studio again and start fresh tomorrow! :)  (I have so many new paintings to finish!! )

We’re en route back to Minnesota — It’s been pretty cloudy today.  I am taking today "off" and trying to recuperate a little — I think everyone here pushed themselves a little too hard before and during our show in Jackson.  I’ll be all ready to start painting when we arrive back in the studio!!

This morning we ran around downtown a little bit.  I visited my painting at Trailside Galleries — I am participating in the Paco Young benefit exhibition being held there this month.  I was delighted to hear my painting was purchased this morning by a client from town!  Please visit Paco’s website for information about various fundraisers and how he is doing (www.pacofriendsforlife.com).  And, of course, we had to drop by our galleries (www.gallerieswestjacksonhole.com) to say our goodbyes before leaving — at least until next month :). 

Throughout the rest of the day we had a series of mini photoshoots in the National Elk Refuge, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park (where we encountered a rain/snow/hail storm that dropped the temperature by 20 degrees and gave us a beautiful double rainbow!!). :)  It’s always so beautiful out here!  I can’t wait to start some more paintings!!