It seems only right that nature, and wildlife in particular, should be the favorite of a perfectionist such as Charles Spaulding.

After all, you have to try to record every minute detail when attempting to reproduce any masterpiece of nature. No two people see a wildlife scene the same way; and no one ever sees the same thing exactly the way it happened before. Nature is constantly changing and re-creating. Some people have a special talent for tuning in on that "special" connection to the inner feelings of nature and have an ability to portray that feeling.

Charles Spaulding, of Lexington, possesses a genuine concern for perfection...an inborn sense for detail. He believes wildlife should be cast in its natural surroundings.

Although he sometimes paints from photographs out of necessity, Spaulding prefers working with live subjects. His work always seems to interest the viewer, while capturing a remarkable realism. It has been said that his work is so realistic that at any moment one might see the blink of a bird's eye or hear the rustle of feathers.

The first painting from which a limited edition print was released was his Red Tailed Hawk. The original painting took him over 1,200 hours to complete, he explains, "In the course of painting a particular wildlife subject, I sometimes experience 'highs and lows' of accomplishment. The highs satisfy my appetite to work in precise detail and the lows are usually areas which are monotonous or which lack detail. In working this way, I often become so involved in a painting that I lose all track of time."

For his most recent accomplishment, Charles Spaulding has created a beautiful full-color painting for the official Kentucky Hawk...the emblem for the Kentucke Society. It will be the cover of the November issue of the Kentucky Images Magazine, and is available as a collector print by Society members.

The lack of time he has to devote to his art frustrates Spaulding, but he does thoroughly enjoy his art and plans to continue for some time to come.

He is a gentle man with an earnest concern for his subject matter, and when faced with a subject he does not feel positive about, he will not even give it consideration. He says, "If I can't get excited about working on a painting, I'd rather be doing something else with my time."

Any lack of formal art training is made up for by Spaulding's dedication to perfection. Natural talent of this type is rare. He has a keen insight coupled with an artistic view...the ability to capture the natural beauty of a scene and project it to the viewer.

He began to develop an interest in art in school. With the encouragement of his family and friends he continued to progress as time and talent unfolded.

After graduating from Good Shepherd School in Frankfort, he attended the University of Kentucky and then took a 3-year tour of duty with the U.S. Marines. He then went to work for a commercial printing firm in Frankfort under the direction of a trained artist from the Cincinnati School of Art. After several years there he accepted a job with a color process printing firm in Lexington, and devotes a major part of his time to the technical end of the color process field. Charles Spaulding, his wife Lillie and their three sons, Dwight, Evan and Scott now make their home in Lexington.

The above article was written by Shryl Preston and appeared in a 1983 issue of Kentucky Images Magazine. Charles and his family now reside in Hurst, Texas.