Bob York
Bob York was born and raised on a Southwest KS ranch, homesteaded by his grandparents on the Cimarron River. He developed a sense, knowledge and appreciation for the balance and beauty of the ranch life, which gives credence and meaning to the adage, “You can take the boy off of the ranch, but not the ranch out of the boy.”
After retirement in ’98 from a major corporation, and the last 8 years of that tenure spent in the Middle East in Saudi Arabia, Bob retired to the Black Hills and was introduced to chain-saw woodcarving as a hobby, which became an avocation. Back surgery necessitated pursuit of a different choice of creativity, which evolved into pencil and acrylic works.
Bob has had no formal training in art and is basically self-taught, with some tutelage from two good friends and outstanding artists Art Steller and Dwight Sundby. Bob’s informal art education has allowed him to try several styles developing his own personal style while continuing to let the art be an experience that can be shared with the viewer so that the image/experience evokes a feeling of life, emotion, action and a sense of connection to the subject or landscape; and the focal point seemingly becomes real and come off of the canvas, rather than just so many or few brushstrokes. Bob says his style is still developing and he is still learning. He has exhibited in the Bodega in Deadwood, Wall Drug in Wall and Weaver Art Gallery. He has had Best of Show at Cavalry Days Art Show in Sturgis and also Black Hills Area Art Show in Spearfish in ’08. He was also honored as “Artist of the Month” in Nov. ’07 by the Sturgis Art Council.
Bob says he is blessed in so many ways with good family, good friends and especially the ability to paint “the west and the people of the west” to include the Black Hills. One of his favorite themes is Bear Butte, which is featured in several of his paintings. He intends to continue the simple life of putting the brush to the canvas and the peace of mind it instills.
Galleries
