Robert Wood (1889-1979), Unsigned Buckeye painting, c. 1923, oil on board, 12 x 24 in., frame: 15.75 x 27.75 in.

Early in his career Robert Wood painted in a style which has come to be known as "Buckeye" painting. Buckeye paintings most often have a 1 to 2 ratio of height to width and tend to be facilely painted--and unsigned. In fact, Wood could paint one in a matter of minutes. He was a quick study artist and a fast learner who quickly absorbed style and technique from those around him. It seems that in the winter of 1922 Wood and his family visited San Antonio and the gulf coast, and were pleased and impressed by what they found there. In 1923, Wood moved with his family to San Antonio, where he initially continued to paint in his "Buckeye" style. In San Antonio he was exposed to the work of Julian Onderdonk, who had recently passed away, but whose works were very popular with art patrons in San Antonio. Also Wood met Jose Arpa, who had just returned to the city. Wood appreciated the skill and talent of Jose Arpa and briefly studied under the Spanish artist. Once in San Antonio studying with Jose Arpa, Wood changed his style quickly as he absorbed lessons from Arpa and Onderdonk. In Texas, Wood quickly adopted bluebonnet landscapes as a favorite landscape scene to paint, no doubt in response to customer demand. However, there are many of his "Buckeye" paintings, often unsigned, painted on board, that do survive to show what Wood painted like when he first arrived in San Antonio. Like many works of the late teens and early 1920's they have a more or less 1:2 ratio Wood often employed in sizing the paintings. Shortly after his arrival in San Antonio, he set up a studio in downtown San Antonio and was attracting passers-by to become clients by painting his Buckeye pictures in the window of his studio, And finally, fortunately, Robert Wood signed a few of these "Buckeye" bluebonnets, whether by choice or because a client insisted, so we have some signed works which match nearly exactly the many unsigned "Buckeye" bluebonnet paintings that he produced around 1923, when he first came to San Antonio. In his "Buckeye" paintings we see Wood gradually mastering the painting of bluebonnets, live oaks, mesquite, cacti, the broad Texas blue sky, billowy clouds, and the distant hills. These unsigned "Buckeye" bluebonnets paintings on paper board can still be found in San Antonio.
Source: Mr. and Mrs. James and Kimel Baker, based on information taken from an auction and conversations with collectors and dealers.

Very good