Instruction, philosophy and credentials

Robert Louis Caldwell

Artist and Instructor

ARC Associate Living Master

Signature Member, The Society of Animal Artists

Learn more about Robert and his work by visiting rlcaldwell.com.

Individual attention. Creative exploration.

Join professional working and internationally exhibited artist Robert Louis Caldwell for online instructional courses and mentorship studios. Robert’s courses range from fundamentals in drawing and oil painting to specific techniques in handling different mediums and creating textures. The online courses focus on specific techniques and subject matter; work alongside Robert from your own studio. In the live mentorship studios, Robert works with students at a variety of skill levels, while encouraging them to expand their skills and problem-solve creatively so every student comes away with growing confidence in his or her artistic abilities.

Robert believes in first building a strong foundation of skills for students and then progressing to additional techniques and media to build their knowledge of seeing and creating lines, shapes, forms, value, and color. Just like fellow musicians, actors, and athletes, visual artists must have the discipline to continually build and maintain their creative talent.

Robert’s teaching philosophy

Robert’s teaching philosophy is to approach each student as an individual. He strongly encourages everyone to start from the fundamentals but after that initial starting point, he realizes that everyone moves at their own pace and that each student will reach their independent goals on their own schedule. Robert has been teaching since 2010, with many of his students continuing with him for several years. A few of them have been with him for 10 years. Robert also teaches workshops around the country.

Robert views creating art like building a house. You may see a beautiful house in front of you but what gives it that beauty is the structure and foundation underneath. For artists, that structure and foundation is the knowledge of the fundamentals of art, value, form, color and technique. To create a beautiful finished drawing or painting and, more importantly, to enjoy creating that drawing or painting, a good artist has confidence and understanding in all the fundamentals. All creative disciplines require this dedication to learning the basics. When artwork is viewed by someone who doesn’t possess this knowledge, who doesn’t understand the level of effort and passion required to create it, they see “casual grace.” In the end, that is what Robert is hoping people see in his students’ work, a casual grace.

Credentials

Art instructor since 2010
Owned and operated Midlothian Art Academy 2016-2020 (closed due to COVID-19)
Online instruction
Studio instruction
Workshops around the country
Art Renewal Center Associate Living Master
Artist-in-residence, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin
Art instruction to teens
Gallery talks
Adult drawing workshop
Author, “Draw Realistic Animals: Wildlife, Pets and More”
Featured artist
"Art Journey Animals A Collection of Inspiring Contemporary Masterworks"
“Sketchbook Confidential 2”
“Strokes of Genius 2”

As an art instructor, Robert has: