Even as a boy, I always loved art. I realized early in my life that I could draw pretty much anything. I won my first art competition in the 6th grade and went on to studying mechanical drawing and illustration. I entertained going into the field of advertising design, but that never happened as the Vietnam War came along, and I was facing the draft. While serving my country as a Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, I made extra money sketching other guys’ girlfriends from photos they had. Other than that, I didn’t do much with my talent until I was married with children. I began drawing portraits of children and then moved to pastels. My working career and raising a family took precedence over my art aspirations. I worked in the electronics industry where I designed semiconductor devices, basically using geometric patterns. At one point there was an opening for a technical illustrator. Although I had never done this before, I knew I could do it. I got the position, making detailed exploded view ink drawings of equipment parts for field maintenance manuals.
It was 35 years before I seriously got back to my love of art. One morning, just after I retired in 2014, I glanced over at photos of my grandchildren, picked up a pencil and began sketching my Granddaughter. At that very moment I knew I wanted to recapture what I had set aside all those years ago. I’ve done some work with watercolors, but I feel most comfortable with pastels and do love the vibrancy of the pigments. Then In the summer 0f 2021 I began working in oils. It’s been a bit of a learning curve, but with each painting I complete I’m just a little bit better..
I work from photo’s, most of which I take myself. My paintings are inspired from trips to Cape Cod, Nova Scotia, Maine, upstate NY, Europe and the Connecticut shoreline. Seascapes and landscapes are my favorite subjects; however, I also do commission pieces, as well as portraits of people and pets.
Bob is a member of the Connecticut Pastel Society, Lyme Art Association, Clinton Art Society and is an Elected Member of the Madison Art Society. His work has been exhibited in local restaurants, the Madison Art Society, Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art in Chester CT, the Valentine H. Zahn Gallery at Middlesex Hospital in Westbrook, Clinton Art Society, The New Haven Paint and Clay Club, Hudson Valley Art Society', the Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme and the Branford Art And Cultural Alliance in Branford, Ct. He has won several awards and many of his paintings are in private collections across the country. His work has been published in local newspapers and INK magazine.