In June, Doug Robbins, local artist and cowboy, was selected from nineteen entries as the winner of the 2010 Genoa Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival poster contest. The entries were solicited from Northern Nevada and an array of mixed media including photography, oil, graphic design and watercolor was submitted. “When Doug brought three large works and an array of smaller works, I could see that he was a very talented artist,” said Theresa Chipp, representative of the Carson Valley Arts Council. Doug’s media of choice is watercolor which he uses to depict cowboys painted in the style of dress that is worn by the cowboys of a particular region.

Doug Robbins

Whether painting still life, landscapes or Western images Doug Robbins is drawn to bright colors, energetic contrasts. He paints a wide range of subjects, all of them he knows and enjoys profoundly.

A self-taught artist, he has recently retired from being a successful cattle rancher operating a 7,000 acre spread as well as many other successful business enterprises over the last 40 years. Furthermore, he's a decorated veteran of the war in Viet-Nam where he served his country as a Green Beret.

He believes his family values, life, travel, and business pursuits comprise the essential tools for developing the eye for style, and exploring the subjects that hold his interests most intensely. Always ready to try something new, he continually expands his repertoire fueling his excitement by experimenting and expanding his talent. His preferred media includes oil, watercolor, and acrylic.

Doug Robbins's studio is in his house located in beautiful Gardnerville, Nevada on the eastern side of the Sierra mountains close to South Lake Tahoe. His series of "Western Cowboys" reflects the true cowboy traditions that he lived and breathed on a daily basis for so many years.

He often comments, "I'm so deeply honored by those who find my work to be something they can associate with; it engages them in a way that draws them in; viewers relate to my work in such an intense and meaningful way that they want to share the experience with their family & friends. . . . . that, to me, is the true personal journey of art. . . . . it's about the connections!"