Rob Wood - The Sports Artist
About Rob Wood - Q & A
Q. Do you look like Forest Gump in all your photos?
A. No, just the important ones
Q. When did you start selling your artwork
A. My first experience in selling work was when I was about 8 years old. I traded artwork for Red Hots chandy with my Grandma Rosie.
Q. What made you focus on sports art.
A. Back in 2003, I was creating art as a hobby and I volunteered at a downtown Denver art show to get a feel of how other artists sold their work. I worked as a "booth sitter" and watched over the artists booth while they took a break.
An older man and his wife entered the booth to browse around. The woman seemed to be immediatley engaged with the artwork, while the old man made a bee line to me. He quickly exclaimed with disgust, "I'd much rather be at the bar, watching my game than looking that this foo-foo art crap." Seem
The idea to focus on sports art became a reality right then and there.
I realized there was something missing at the art show....sports art.
Q. What was your first original painting as "The Sports Artist"
A. It was of Phil McElson
Q. How did you become a professional artist.
A. After I was fired from 6 jobs in 6 years, it was time to go pro.
Q. When were you fired 6 times in 6 years.
A. Between 2009 and 2015, I was literally "let go" from six different construction service companies in Denver. I am not proud of it but I own it, because it forced me in a positive direction.
Q.
Q. Do you do other work besides sports art
A. Yes, I enjoy drawing and painting personal portraits, creating illustrations and graphic design.
Rob calls himself a pre-pot Colorado local. Rob is not native to Colorado, he and his family moved here from Taos, New Mexico in 2003.
Rob's first gallery opening as held on his grandma Rosie's refrigator near 11th St and Gage Blvd. in Topeka, Kansas. Everyone attended (in the family) and it was a huge success. Rob sold alot of work on opening night for Red Hots, cookies and 7-UP.
Local art critics in Topeka accused Rosie's Refrigerator Gallery of nepatism, which Rosie proudly agreed.
Grandma Rosie's Refrigerator Gallery, was a humble beginning full of constant support and encouragement.
Eary in 1980's is family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma and he had to leave Rosie's Refrigerator behind. It was time to try it as an artist in the real world. They moved near 71st and Memorial in Tulsa, and Rob spent his summers at Gilcrease Art Museaum for gifted kids. He won a number of awards for his artwork and enjoyed the challenge of other creative kids.
When his family moved to Santa Fe in 1985, he was exposed art as a real career and also to the reality of term "starving artist." He learned it didn't just mean "an artist hungry to work" but that is really meant a "artist hungry for food."
Rob ended up studying fine art at Washurn University in the early 1990's.
Recently, Rob and his family spent a year in Taos, New Mexico from May 2015 - July 2016.
If he can learn to open his eyes in photographs
then his photos will look much better.