Artist & Painter Rebecca Latham’s Nature & Wildlife Art

I spoke with one of my galleries recently who was requesting more work to exhibit in their showroom.  A very nice problem to have, being sold out or having low inventory in my galleries.  :)   I do wish that I could paint a little faster.   ;)

This is a new painting that I am working on for one of my galleries.  It is a portrait of one of the cats from Big Cat Rescue in Florida that the facility allowed me to study during one of our visits.  The cougar is cared for by the BCR instead of living out it’s life in the wild because the wild animal was imprinted as a youngster and raised as a pet.

This is the sketch phase of the watercolor painting.  The piece is on my easel right now, in the later stages of the painting process, so I will be posting color photos of the painting shortly.

The cyber world is an ever-changing place.  It seems that technology is at such a pace that every new feature or component on the web or your computer is immediately out of date — which is both frustrating and encouraging.  It is so exciting to see the new futuristic concepts and technologies that are becoming more and more common.

On the subject of new technology, my online studio received a facelift about a week ago.  Aside from the new streamline contemporary layout and design, it has a few new features in it, such as visitor commenting capabilities and RSS feeds so that visitors can subscribe to for updates if the like, as well as a few other things.  Additional feeds will be added soon. 

Everyone needs a little refreshing inspiration.  :D  For me, it’s spending time in an undisturbed natural area or being up close and personal with wildlife that lives there.  I just love those deep wooded areas of Montana and Wyoming, and often find myself thinking of them while working in my studio.  Thankfully, I am able to visit them frequently for inspiration.

I just sent out a collection of paintings to Moose Horn Gallery located in Paradise Valley - near Livingston, Montana for their grand opening next week.  Though I am unable to attend their grand opening, I will be out there a little later this year.  The gallery is hosting an exhibition for my family in early July, so I will be able to get out into the woods and study for some of my future pieces, as well as doing a little painting in the gallery.

I was recently asked to show some of my work in a newly organized international invitational exhibition for miniature artwork featuring nature themed pieces.  The show will be featuring work by many well known artists, both from the USA and other areas of the world.  My Mom, Karen, and sister, Bonnie, will be showing their miniature work in the show as well. 

This is the inital rough sketch I am using for one of my miniature pieces that I will be showing in the exhibition.

The natural wilderness is filled with extremely beautiful and breathtaking views, habitats, and creatures.  Nonetheless, it is a wild and rugged terrain that is treacherous.  Many of the beautiful creatures that I study to render in my work are predators.  Because of this, there is always a certain danger to study them — whether it is in a zoo, on a wilderness safari, or with a trained animal.  But danger or not, there is no magnificence like anything I have been able to observe anywhere other than in the spirit of wild creatures or their untamed environment.

Being raised in a family that has a bond with the outdoors and the environment, I have always been taught to respect it.  In travels and adventures to capture the essence of wildlife and wild places, my family and I have been in a number of close encounters, including being charged by bears, stalked by tigers and leopards, knocked off our feet by wolves, grizzlies that are a bit too close to the hiking trail, and most recently, attacked by a cougar that plays a little rough (teeth in the base of my neck was a bit too far for me). 

I am always striving to represent the beauty and delicacy of nature in my work, but I also hope the significance of each species is conveyed as well.  Nature and all of the wildlife that resides in it is to be taken seriously and should be valued.  Each small part of our world makes up the delicate ecosystem that holds our lives in balance.