was born
on August 13, 1940 in Cleburne, Texas. He began creating figures
and animals with bread dough at age of two, was painting and
doing pencil sketches by school age, graduating to oil at the
young age of nine.Summers has had no formal art training, save a
short course in mixing colors at age 15, where he was told a
short time later that he had surpassed his instructor and was
wasting his time there. He began professionally to explore his
God-given talent in 1964. Since that time he has worked in
various mediums including: Egg Tempera, Acrylic Tempera, Oil, Dry
Brush Watercolor, Pastel and Pencil. He is equally talented with
wax and clay, currently dividing his time between painting and
bronze sculpture.Summers resides with his wife Boo in his home
town of Glen Rose, Texas and working with him are two of his
three sons. He also serves as Associate Director of the Creation
Evidences Museum, and has traveled to Turkey and New Guinea on
expeditions. Summers plays bagpipes and sings Contemporary
Christian music, he loves wildlife and the cowboy atmosphere of
the small Texas town.
- Awarded the Acrylic Division Award in 1972 by the
American Artist Professional League.
- In 1973 he helped organize the Texas Association of
Professional Artist (T.A.P.A.) and served as their first
president.
- One of his greatest honors came on July 4, 1975, when
Governor Dolph Briscoe and the Texas Legislature named
him as the Official Texas Bicentennial Artist.
- On July 4, 1975 he was presented with the American
Airlines’ Americana Award for Art, presented by
Randy Steffen.
- Selected nationally by the Franklin Mint as one of the
Ten Gold Medal Award winners, during it’s
introduction into fine art reproductions.
- In 1976 was awarded with the Cultural Achievement Award
for Art by West Texas Chamber of Commerce.
- During the T.A.P.A. awards banquet Summers received 6 of
the possible 11 medals. His painting ‘Forbidden
Wilderness’ took First Place for Best Oil, Best of
Show, Most Popular (voted on by guest) and T.A.P.A.
Membership Award.
- In both, 1977 and 1978, annual T.A.P.A. shows, Summers
was awarded with the Gold Medals for Best Oil.
- Recipient of the Randy Steffen Annual Award on July 4,
1981.
- Named as the Official Sesquicentennial Artist of Texas by
the 69th Texas Legislature in July 1987.
- In 1995 Summers was named Most Favorite Son by the Glen
Rose/Summervell County Chamber of commerce.
- His works have appeared in dozens of magazines and
newspapers from coast to coast.
- Altermann & Morris Galleries of Houston, Dallas,
Sante Fe, and Hilton Head.
- Top of the Line Gallery, Fort Worth.
- Trailside Galleries of Scottsdale and Jackson Hole.
- Buffalo Trail Gallery, Jackson Hole. WY.
- Whistle Pik Gallery, Fredricksburg, TX.
- Created a life-size, standing figure of a Texas Ranger
which is on display at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame in
Waco, Texas.
- Created a larger-than-life, standing figure of Texas
pioneer, Maj. George B. Erath, which is also at the Texas
Ranger Complex.
- Selected from a group of some 100 artists and
commissioned to do the nine-foot statue of John Wayne in
October 1980. During the project Summers worked closely
with the Wayne family, the sculpture is on display at the
John Wayne Airport, Orange Co., CA
- In May 1985, the 69th Texas Legislature passed House Bill
#33 approving the placement of a monumental bronze by
Robert Summers. The bronze, a 1 1/2 life-sized monument
(40’x22’x14’) depicting Texas’ early
commerce of cattle and railroads, is to be a gift to the
people of Texas. Although the bronze has not yet been
executed, it is still under consideration.
- In 1987, Summers finished a three-quarter life version of
“Texas Legacy”. The monument measures
20’x12’x7’ and depicts two cowboys, on
horse-back, leading seven longhorn cattle over a railroad
crossing and is on display at the main entrance of Astro
Hall in the Astro Dome Complex in Houston.
- In 1990 was commissioned by the United States Navy
Memorial Foundation to sculpt three large bas-relief
bronzes showing various historical events and duties of
the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. The bas-reliefs are part
of the U.S.Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Ave. in
Washington, D.C.
- In February 1992 work was finished on a nine-foot statue
of golf legend Byron Nelson. Commissioned by U.S.A.A.,
the bronze is prominently located near the first tee at
the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas in
Irving, Texas.
- In November 1992, Summers began work on what is probably
the largest contiguous bronze monument in North America.
A brain child of real estate magnate Trammell Crow and
commissioned by the Dallas Trees and Parks Foundation,
the project will contain three cowboys on horse-back and
70 longhorn steers, with each piece being 130% life, the
bronze trail-drive will cover four acres in down-town
Dallas. This project was a breakthrough in that the
artist designed both the bronzes and the landscaping.
- In 1996, Summers finished three 130% life-size monuments
of three prominent Dallas citizens. Including Trammell
Crow, on display at the Anatol Hotel; and Tom Hughs,
former director of Dallas Summer Musicals, on display in
Fair Park, in Dallas.
For information on the
limited edition print-'The
Word'
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