Douglas H. Caves Sr. is a painter whose work is rooted in personal emotional response—an attempt to translate what he feels into what others might see and share. Inspired by the rural architecture, shifting light, and quiet structure of the New England landscape, Doug builds his paintings layer by layer, exploring the subtle relationships between color, form, and memory. “I’m always trying to find the right ‘mood,’” he says, “so that what I’m feeling lands on the canvas.” Doug began painting as a teenager, studying oil painting with Tom Morris of Fitchburg before continuing formal training in art history, painting, sculpture, and drawing at Mt. Wachusett Community College, where he received the school’s Annual Purchase Award for his bronze sculpture Head of Joy. He later pursued additional studies at the Worcester Art Museum and in creative writing at Clark University, deepening his lifelong interest in expression, storytelling, and structure. His work is strongly influenced by early admiration for Rembrandt as well as the conceptual precision of relational systems—a sensibility honed during his decades-long parallel career in construction and facilities management. Today, Doug paints from his studio in the rural Massachusetts home where he grew up. He frequently draws inspiration from the Southern Maine coast and the open fields of central New England, returning to familiar subjects—barns, weathered houses, still life scenes—to explore their changing light and emotional resonance. He also teaches landscape and still life painting through workshops and continuing education programs, encouraging students to “discover what’s coming out of them.” Doug’s paintings invite viewers to pause, reflect, and feel. “It’s about discovery,” he says. “I try to paint paintings I don’t know how to do. That’s what keeps me going.” Learn more about Doug’s artistic journey on Radio Maine.