Bob Franklin

Award winning pastel artist, Bob Franklin, conveys the heart and soul of the southwest culture in his vibrant paintings.  A self-taught artist, Bob was born in Philadelphia and spent much of his life on the east coast before moving to Texas in 1990, where he was soon captivated by the colorful southwestern culture and traditions.

Photographing and painting the people, missions, churches and artifacts of the southwest became a consuming passion and the focus of his spiritual journey.  Bob’s floral paintings are inspired by vases purchased throughout his travels.  The voluptuous vases with their beautiful flowers and sensuous backgrounds seduce the eye of the viewer.

Bob creates the look of fine oils in his pastel paintings through his masterful manipulation of sunlight and shadow.  The result is sure to enchant the eye and inspire the soul in the tradition of the old masters, El Grecco, Botticelli and Velasquez, whose inspiration lies behind Bob’s choice of palette in many of his paintings.

Bob is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, whose work is featured in several art galleries throughout the southwest.  Many of Bob’s paintings have received local and international recognition and awards.  In 2001, Southwest Art Magazine predicted that Bob was “an artist to watch”.  Perhaps this is because in all of his paintings, he strives to share what captures his soul.