Robert Lougheed, who came to be known as "the painter's painter," was born and raised on a farm in Ontario, Canada. As a young child, Bob spent hours on the farm sketching animals and wildlife. After contemplating a career as a professional hockey player, he decided to become an artist. He moved to Toronto to work as a newspaper illustrator, while studying at night at the Ontario College of Art. At the age of 25 Bob began a life-long friendship with another illustrator named John Clymer. It was Clymer who convinced Bob to move to New York, where he studied under Frank Vincent Dumond at the famed Arts Students League. He continued working for thirty years as an illustrator and his work appeared in magazines such as National Geographic, Sports Afield and Reader's Digest.
In the late 1930's, Bob decided to move back to Canada and en-list in the Canadian Army. He was stationed in Quebec outside of Valleyfield where he continued to paint often. His Post Commander was so impressed with his talent that he allowed Bob time off to study at Ecole des Beaux Arts in Montreal. Bob received orders to ship out to Europe shortly before the war ended, but was released from service before shipping out.
He spent the next 20 plus years in Westport, Connecticut where there was a large community of illustrators. During these years, among other things, he created the Flying Red Horse ads for Mobile Oil Company, and landed a multi-year commission for DuPont to paint the Annual National Field Dog Champions. It is in Westport that he met his wife Cordy, who was visiting from St. Croix, Virgin Islands, where she was working for the Red Cross. Soon afterwards, Bob traveled to the Virgin Islands and the two were married.
He traveled widely throughout the West, particularly the old Bell Ranch country of New Mexico. In 1970, he was commissioned by the Post Office Department to design the six-cent buffalo stamp for the Wildlife Conservation Series. Books he illustrated are
Mustang, with the paintings in the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and
San Domingo.
In 1970 Bob and Cordy decided to make Santa Fe, New Mexico their home, where he lived until his death in 1982.
Robert Lougheed was dedicated to painting. Although he spent over thirty years as an illustrator, he always considered himself a fine art painter. He spent much of his time traveling and painting Alaska, Quebec, Hawaii, Virgin Islands, England, France and British Columbia. Relative to outdoor painting he used to say that "the best information is always in front of you", and he lived by this. Years of observation had taught him to work quickly and from nature, whenever possible.
Robert Lougheed's interest in art went far beyond his own easel. He was one of the prime movers in the founding of the National Academy of Western Art at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and continued to serve as an adviser for many years. He also gave generously of his time as a teacher to many young painters who came to him.
Throughout his lifetime Lougheed earned over 25 awards at both the National Academy of Western Art and the Cowboy Artists of America.
Robert Lougheed, who came to be known as "the painter's painter," was born and raised on a farm in Ontario, Canada. At nineteen, he was a mail-order and newspaper illustrator for the "Toronto Star", studying at night at the Ontario College of Art and then at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Montreal. At age twenty-five, he came to New York as the pupil of Frank Vincent DuMond and Dean Cornwell at the famed Art Students League. He continued working for over thirty years as an illustrator and his work appeared in magazines such as "National Geographic", "Sports Afield" and "Reader's Digest" .
He traveled widely throughout the West, particularly the old Bell Ranch country of New Mexico. In 1970, he was commissioned by the Post Office Department to design the six-cent buffalo stamp for the Wildlife Conservation Series. Books he illustrated are "Mustang", with the paintings in the Cowboy Hall of Fame, and "San Domingo". He was a multiple-award winner at both the National Academy of Western Art and the Cowboy Artists of America.
Robert Lougheed was a quiet, forceful man, dedicated to painting. Relative to outdoor painting he said that "the best information is always in front of you", and he lived by this. Years of observation had taught him to work quickly and from nature whenever possible. His enthusiasm was boundless when natural phenomena were under discussion; a favorite comment was "Isn't it wonderful?"
Because of his early years on the farm and years of study devoted to animals and landscape, his knowledge was encyclopedic. This strong background coupled with a fine color sense continued to make him one of the most forceful painters of our time, a true artist's artist. In his ability to select, he saw the best and the most telling of whatever was before him. When his rapid brush struck in sunlight on an adobe wall, to many viewers it was better than the wall itself.
Robert Lougheed's interest in art went far beyond his own easel. He was one of the prime movers in the founding of the National Academy of Art at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, and continued to serve as an advisor for many years. He also gave generously of his time as a teacher to many young painters who came to him.
As a beneficiary of the legacy of Frank Vincent DuMond, Harold Von Schmidt, Sir Alfred Munning, Frederic Remington and a legion of others, Robert Lougheed felt obliged to help preserve their artistic traditions. He championed realism at a time when the mainstream of American art had lapsed increasingly into abstraction.
Note: Relative to the death date of the artist, the "Lougheed" book written by Bryon Price states on page 118, in the Epilogue, "On June 12, 1982, less than two weeks after Robert Lougheed's death, the National Academy of Western Art paid him a tribute at its annual awards banquet..."
