The paintings of San Luis Obispo native, Robert Reynolds, are in art collections throughout the United States and abroad. Images of his paintings have graced the pages and covers of national art magazines and his work is featured in over 20 books, the majority being art books. Reynolds has assembled an impressive body of work and list of honors. He is a past winner of the Gold (1994) and Bronze (1993) honors in the California Discovery Awards, and the Bronze Award winner (1996) and Finalist (1999, 2000, 2004) in the Landscape category for the Artist Magazine’s National Art Competition. His work has been in numerous solo art exhibitions.

In a past commission, the United States Postal Service chose Reynolds to do the artwork for a stamp commemorating the famed Hearst Castle. Selected as a Central Coast Wine Classic Commemorative Artist (1998, 2002 and 2009), Reynolds’ painting entitled “Vineyard Light” (1998) is held in the collection of Meridian Winery. Reynolds was also a winner of the Purchase Prize Award in Ironstone Vineyard’s national art competition (1999). Posters were published using his painting image to celebrate the annual event. In 2004, he was selected to do the painting that highlighted the poster commemorating the Bear Valley Music Festival, which is held annually in the California High Sierra all-seasons resort. His paintings have appeared on many past posters such as the San Luis Obispo Symphony, the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and the Bicentennial Poster celebrating the founding of the City of San Luis Obispo, California (highlighting Father Junipero Serra, who founded many of the early California Missions) and a poster celebrating Ironstone Vineyards located in Murphys, California.

National publications regularly highlight Robert Reynolds’ work. Features and occasional cover stories include: The American Artist, The Artist Magazine, Watercolor Magic (cover), the American Artist WATERCOLOR magazine, North Light magazine, and Ford Times (covers). His work has appeared on the cover of two issues of the San Luis Obispo Magazine (2001 and 2002) and on the cover of the Harbinger Magazine (2000) published in Arnold, California. His paintings were featured in an eight-page article in the 2004 January issue of Central Coast Magazine. In 2007, his work and book were highlighted in the Cal Poly Alumni Magazine.

In addition to his own books, “The Art of Robert Reynolds: Quiet Journey” (Cal Poly Alumni Association), “Painting Nature’s Peaceful Places” by Robert Reynolds with Patrick Seslar (North Light Books), Reynolds’ work has been published in twenty art books. These include the prestigious, biennial “Best of Watercolor” books, Splash 3, Splash 4, Splash 5 and Splash 6 and the Splash 9, which his painting, “Vineyard Radiance” is on the cover (North Light Books), all edited by Rachel Wolf. His work will also be included in the Splash 11 book. Many of his paintings were featured in the books, “How to Make Your Watercolors Look Professional” by Carole Katchen (North Light Books), “Back into My Body and New Poems” by Glenna Luschei (Mille Grazie Press), and in the book, “Horses of San Simeon” by Mrs. Randolph Hearst Jr. (San Simeon Press). His work is also in the books, “Painting Light and Shadow” and “The Watercolorist’s A to Z of Trees and foliage”, both published by the English company, Quarto Publishing. His recently released coffee-table book entitled, “The Art of Robert Reynolds: Quiet Journey”, features 178 of his paintings in full-color that celebrate the Central California Coast’s natural beauty and its people and his paintings of the California High Sierras.

Cal Poly University Professor of Art/Emeritus, Reynolds is a recipient of the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award and the Cal Poly President Baker’s Art Award. He is also a past department chairman of the nationally recognized Art and Design Program at Cal Poly. He is an alumnus with honors of the Art Center College of Design, located in Southern California. Reynolds later earned his Masters Degree from Cal Poly University. Presently, he is a Professor of Art/Emeritus; Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, California.

In December, 2005, Reynolds participated in the invitational Biennale Internazionale Dell’ Arte Contemporanea in Florence, Italy. He was among a selected number of American artists His invitation was supported and endorsed by U.S. Congresswoman Lois Capps, who represents California’s 22nd District. Reynolds has been listed for a many years in a number of biographical journals, including the noted Marquis journals: Who’s Who in American Art; Who’s Who in America; Who’s Who in the World and Who’s Who in Education.

In July/August 2011, Reynolds is scheduled to have a solo art exhibition at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.

"The search for a meaningful subject is, in reality, a search for ourselves... those subjects that we see with our hearts with as much certainty as those we see with our eyes"