Robert Daughters

Biography

Robert Daughters (1929-2013) was a Western landscape artist known for his bold brush strokes, combined light and dark colors, and meticulously designed compositions. He received the prestigious 2004 Master's of the Southwest Award from "Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine," which featured his work in their March 2004 issue.

Born and raised in St. Joseph, Missouri, Daughters developed a passion for art after serving in the military. He attended the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design while working as a Curator of Display at the St. Joseph Museum of Natural History. In 1953, during a visit to Taos, New Mexico, he was captivated by the area's beauty and light. This experience inspired him to relocate his family to Santa Fe in 1970 and then to Taos in 1972.

Prior to his move, Daughters had a successful career as a partner in an advertising art studio in Kansas City, where he garnered numerous awards from esteemed organizations in the field. However, his true passion lay in painting the landscapes and cultures of the Southwest, which he celebrated for over thirty years.

Daughters' talent and contributions to the art world were widely recognized. He received awards such as the "Best of Show" Award, the Governor's Purchase Award, and the Merit Award at the New Mexico State Fair Show in 1972. He participated in numerous one-man, group, and exhibition shows throughout the United States, and his work was featured in art publications, magazines, and books. Daughters was chosen as one of the artists to be featured in "Covering the West - The Best of Southwest Art" in 1995 and was also showcased in Southwest Art Magazine's 30th Anniversary issue in May 2004.

Describing himself as a "composist," Daughters emphasized the importance of color harmony, contrast of light and dark values, and above all, structure in his paintings. He derived inspiration from photographs, charcoal sketches, and plein-air oil studies. His meticulous approach involved creating an orderly arrangement of shapes, tones, and atmospheric effects, with composition always taking precedence. Daughters spent twenty years living in the O.E. Berninghaus home and studio in Taos before moving to his residence in the Catalina foothills near Tucson, Arizona, where he dedicated much of his time to his art. He passed away in 2013, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence.