Artist & Painter Rebecca Latham’s Nature & Wildlife Art

This is a new miniature I painted that went to England for a miniature art exhibit. It is a finch with apple blossoms and is a little smaller than 4×6. My Dad has some awesome flowering fruit trees that I love …which inspired this painting… (I have ’spring fever’ -I’m really wishing for spring around here to look like spring. :p )

The little bird isn’t life-sized…which I really would have loved to paint him (I love painting things life-sized and the challenge to make them look like they will walk off my artboard ). The piece was painted to be shown in this exhibition which has an image area limit, and he had to be arranged compositionally in the painting with the flowers…this was the most pleasing arrangement that I came up with.

I really would like to paint the concept as a 6×8 or a little larger sized miniature so that I would have more space for everything… (Maybe the next painting… lol!)

This is the completed painting of the black leopard, titled "Intimidation - Black Leopard" (5" x 7"). My object for this painting was to capture the intense gaze and the action expressed in in the cat’s position - a feeling that he may lunge at any moment.

As mentioned earlier, I tried to keep the subtle qualities of the tones and such adding the contrast of the cat’s strength and focus and delicacy. The precious metals (24kt shell gold/sterling silver) were added to the eyes and sheen of the fur and other area that would add an extra glow. As in all of my work, I am working for realism and the honed look of refined miniature painting, so the touches of these illuminations (as always) are very soft so not to be gaudy or have a glaring tinsel look to them - only subtle and elegant enhancement.

You can see the beginning of the painting posted here from back in December and further progress here. The original was sold in February at a gallery exhibition.

A quick post about an event that will be showing some of my (and my family’s) paintings - an avian themed exhibition. The "It’s For The Birds" exhibition is being held at the Eugene H. and Dorothy Kleinpell Gallery in River Falls, Wisconsin. The opening reception is being held this Sunday (March 16th) from 2-4 pm. The University of Minnesota Raptor Center will be at the opening giving a presentation "All About Owls" at 2pm. The exhibit runs through April and has special events scheduled for the weekends during the show. ( Get directions )

First of all, I need to thank everyone that came to the NatureWorks show in Tulsa this past weekend - It was fabulous to meet all of you…and see familiar faces again! My family and I really appreciate your support for us and our work. We really love what we do and are so pleased to see that others enjoy our finished pieces and the wildlife that is so meaningful to us as well! Thanks for making the 2008 NatureWorks one of our best showings in Tulsa! We look forward to seeing everyone again next year! ( www.natureworks.org )

Also…. Some gallery news - For those who may not know, we are now represented full time in Texas by Whistle Pik Galleries ( www.whistlepik.com ). Their gallery is one of the most beautiful show places that I have seen and the people who run the gallery are superb.

Our gallery in Montana is expanding ( www.moosehorngallery.com ) - they will soon be opening another Moosehorn Gallery in Washington state. The Montana gallery will also be having a large event this summer that we will be attending in Big Sky with a new collection of artwork. …so we will be busy at our easels for a while.

Lastly (..but definitely not least…) An article about our family, "A 24/7 Family Affair", is featured in this month’s issue of Wildlife Art Magazine. Thanks to Wildlife Art and our author, Fran Howard! ( www.wildlifeartmag.com )

This is a photo slide show of the MASF exhibition in Largo, Florida (where one of my paintings was awarded the Best Work by a Young Artist Award). There really was a variety of work there. The newly elected president of the MASF was there at the show, whom I met for the first time - he told me that the collection of paintings that I had in the show sold out. (I was also told a little bit about some of my newest collectors…

I was very pleased to attend the exhibition with Joan Willies RMS (originally from the UK, an accomplished miniature artist and author that I met the first year I entered the MASF exhibition) and the workshop of artists that she brought to the exhibit.

Joan was hosting a workshop, teaching miniature art, at her studio in Florida. There were students who flew in from different parts of the US for her course that week. …and being in Florida already, of course I HAD to go see her! (She’s a sweetheart, who could resist!) …as anyone who has had the experience knows, lunch with a workshop of artists is completely unforgettable!! Too much fun! …and everyone was (and is) so sweet!! I was pleasantly surprised to see familiar faces, too. The "art chats" were fabulous!! (Thanks so much, Joan!! )

These are a few more photos from Florida…

I was very pleased to hear that my handheld miniature, “Turtle Jam”, will be a part of the Society of Animal Artists national museum tour.  The painting was in the SAA’s 47th exhibition that opened at the Wildlife Experience Museum in Parker, Colorado.  The touring exhibit will be making stops around the country during 2007 and 2008.

The painting is painted in watercolor like most of my other work and measures about 3” x 8”.

There are also many Bed and Breakfasts in the area.  I thought that it was a very quaint and beautiful little town.  It was very interesting for me to see a little bit of what is here, though it is a brief trip, having some German heritage of my own.

I can’t get away from my studio too often due to deadlines and  all of the paintings that I have to complete.  (…though, I can’t complain…)  But it is nice to get out occasionally and not always be trapped in my studio (…there are many things waiting for me back there).

I’m off to an exhibition opening in Fredericksburg, Texas this weekend.  Whistle Pik Galleries is having their reception for the Christmas Miniature Show and my family and I will be attending. 

I have never been able to get down to that part of Texas before, to see the area or the gallery, so I am really looking forward to the experience.  The Gallery is in the Texas hill country.

This is a photo from the layover in Denver.  ….not enough time to do any research or sightseeing (other than the inside of Denver international ) – It would have been nice to run out and see the Rocky Mountain National Park again in the snow. …but this is a quick trip, so no wilderness excursions for me.  (there was a little wildlife on the aircraft, though ).