Robert E Todd

Robert E. Todd was born in Ketchikan, Alaska in 1929.  In 1932 his parents moved back to the States and settled in Seattle.  From a very early age Robert was consumed with drawing and painting.  A very supportive mother encouraged him and by the time he turned sixteen he was beginning to earn a bit of money from his art.  Robert attended art school in Seattle and also enrolled in night courses studying anatomy, figure drawing and landscape painting.

Growing up in Seattle was a stroke of good fortune for an aspiring young artist.  It was a city that had a very vibrant art community which provided many opportunities to be taught by, and work with several well known painters.  He became a member of the “Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters” where he met and painted with a man who became a friend and mentor.  He says of James Edward Peck,  “He was a wonderful teacher.  I owe my friend a great debt for his wisdom and generosity in pushing a young artist along.”

Faced with the reality of making a steadier living, Robert turned to commercial art and worked as an illustrator which honed his drawing skills.  While enjoying a highly successful commercial career as an artist and art director, he continued pursuing fine art. In 1973 he gave up the advertising world to pursue a full time career in fine art.  With his wife, Karin, he built a house and a small gallery in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains where he successfully sold his paintings.  In 1984 they decided to leave the Northwest for new vistas.  New England was a part of the country that intrigued them so they headed east and settled in Weston, Vermont.  In July of 1986 they opened Todd Gallery where Robert gained a large following for his paintings.  His focus was on New England, with an emphasis on Vermont and also Ireland, the home of his maternal grandparents.  He and Karin took many extended painting trips to Ireland where he created a large body of work.  His paintings of Ireland and Vermont are highly sought after by his many collectors.

Last year Robert and Karin realized that being away from family for twenty years was long enough. Also, they needed a less hectic life so they decided to return to western Washington. They sold the gallery and moved to the Fairhaven area of Bellingham, close to family and friends where Robert has built a studio. They are presently building a house with a small gallery where visitors will be welcome.