Lonesome Dove Gallery
When it comes to painting, what inspires Robert Dove is “the pure beauty of capturing nature, horses, sunsets, etc.—the subject matter, the color, and taking a white canvas and making something of it.” Dove derives from his comfort with horses and cowboy life. He’s also well-acquainted with team roping and ranch sorting. He says, “The different positions you are in while roping or riding your horse help in portraying the action in my paintings accurately…you are amongst the action. I get to see some of the best cowboys in the country. How they work their horses and the unique character of the cowboy.”
Dove’s style resonates—sometimes mysteriously. He’s done work for clients that run the gamut from Leann Rimes and ZZ Top to Mastercard, Coca Cola, Ocean Spray and Texas Motor Speedway. Dove recalls specific instances of people making a profound personal connection. “[I] was commissioned to do a painting of Randy White, the Dallas Cowboys football star, as a Western cowboy,” he recalls. “When Randy saw the finished painting he asked if I had a photo of his horse. I replied, ‘No, I just made up a horse.’ Randy
2911 Garnett Avenue, Wichita Falls, TX 76308, (940) 691-3229 www.lonesomedovegallery.com
said, ‘That is my horse Sarge.’”
Dove’s Wichita Falls, Texas, studio faces his arena and barn, so “it’s handy to use my horses for models for the correct composition.” Along with his work, his Lonesome Dove Gallery displays another talent: custom jewelry and Western-accessory design.
Sometimes Dove considers moving to
New Mexico, but he’s Wichita Falls born and raised and is content to “see where the good Lord leads me.” It’s not just following that lead that keeps him in North Texas; he says, “I’ve got a beautiful little ranch home and gallery right here. Wichita Falls is horse country; some of the ranches are among the biggest in Texas.”
Besides that, he says, there’s this essential Western artist’s truth: “A horse looks just as good here as any other place.”
June 1 to July 21, Red River Valley Museum in Vernon, Texas, will mount an exhibition of Dove’s artwork.