I spent my childhood in the Pacific Northwest. As a boy I whiled away a lot of school days secretly drawing pictures of airplanes, ships and tanks. During those days I was a great fan of the cartoons that appeared in Mad Magazine.

I enlisted in the Navy in 1966 and later received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy.  Upon graduation from Annapolis I was assigned to a ship stationed off the coast of Vietnam. The ship’s Chief Engineer introduced me to oil painting.

What began as a casual pastime soon blossomed into an obsession. I recall the title of my first oil painting was "Bearded Man Eating an Egg". The title had more artistic merit than the painting which featured a scraggly lumberjack with a fried egg floating before his eyes. (In retrospect, this seems an unpromising beginning to a career in fine art.)

I resigned from the Navy in 1978 and returned to live in the west where I continued to pursue my interest in painting.  I learned a lot by attending workshops with David Leffel, Burton Silverman, Ramon Kelly, Mark Daily and Richard Schmid.  

I paint full time in my home studio under the watchful eyes of two canine art critics.  My wife Ruby is very supportive of my art career--even though I occasionally track paint all over the house.

Over the years my work has been shown in numerous galleries all over the country. My paintings have also appeared in numerous gallery shows and juried art exhibitions.

My taste in art has changed a lot over the years. Like many beginners, I was first drawn to photorealism. In later years I have come to prefer paintings that are more loosely rendered and impressionistic. I try to build my paintings on an underlying structure of good drawing.  I also try to build representational scenes on foundations that are simple and abstract. My interest in painting is refreshed by frequent experimentation with new techniques, compositions, and subject matter.

Art Exchange Gallery is fortunate to have the work of Bob MacPherson, a talented painter with a flare for painting people and animals.  Contact us for more images or information on this gifted artist. 

	"Teamwork"  -Oil on Board    11"x14"
	"Barrel Racer"  -Oil on Linen/Board    8"x10"
	"Barrel Racer 2"  -Oil on Board    8"x6"
	"Muscle Missile"  -Oil on Board    10"x8"
	"Still Working"  -Oil on Board   10"x8"
	"Autumn Ranch"  -Oil on Linen   16"x24"
	SOLD  "Yahoo"  -Oil on Canvas    24 "x16"