The Cracker Cowman: The Heritage of Florida Ranches as Depicted by Artist Robert Butler

In this excerpt from his autobiography, Timeless Echoes: The Life and Art of Robert Butler, Robert depicts the heritage of Florida ranches by sharing his experiences with Florida ranchers while archiving their way of life on canvas. The 57 ranch paintings included in the book reveal a way of life that is quickly disappearing from the fabric of Florida, succumbing to "progress." Butler paintings are distinctive in their dramatically lit, romanticized portrayals of his beloved wild Florida. His paintings are known to be finely detailed, while exuding an ethereal light in them, giving them an almost sacred quality, the music of his heart. In addition to his story and paintings, Robert gives a separate tribute to the Cracker Cowman, as well as one to the Cracker Cowgirl.

Through talent, a fierce work ethic, and a winning personality, Robert Butler moved from a turpentine still in Baxley, Georgia, to international fame as an artist. One of the original 26 Florida Highwaymen artists, Robert Butler became best known for his natural landscape and wildlife paintings of wild Florida. The one thing that rang clear throughout the life of Robert Butler was that the hand of destiny was upon him from very early childhood. As an African American artist struggling to survive midst the Civil Rights era of our country and facing myriads of conflicts, and even though Robert attempted to escape those conflicts, it was those very conflicts which served him well by honing his natural ability to paint and outfitting him with an eye to see the rapidly diminishing landscapes of wild Florida. It pushed him to put those landscapes to canvas before they completely disappeared. This artist would be the only artist attributed to having painted every ecosystem in wild Florida, something which will never be repeated in history, as many no longer exist, having succumbed to "progress." Butler paintings are distinctive in their dramatically lit, romanticized portrayals of his beloved wild Florida. His paintings are known to be finely detailed, while exuding an ethereal light in them, giving them an almost sacred quality, the music of his heart. He has managed in his paintings to strike a balance in celebrating wild Florida, while at the same time grieving at her passing. Robert's journey led him around the world and into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004. His paintings grace thousands of homes and businesses, galleries, museums, and government buildings throughout the United States and in many other countries. He was sought out by conservationists and environmentalists alike to assist them in advancing their causes. Robert Butler and his wife of more than 50 years, Dorothy, together parented nine children, each of whom became an artist in his own right. Just as he realized his dream of seeing his life story in print, Robert Butler laid down his paintbrush for the last time and departed this life on March 19, 2014. Through his story, Florida, as well as the whole world, will know that "the Butler was here." Books by Robert Butler: Timeless Echoes: The Life and Art of Robert Butler Highwaymen Artists: An Untold Truth The Cracker Cowman: The Heritage of Florida Ranches as Depicted by Artist Robert Butler