Announcement: Robert D. Swartley

[keith cranmer]

Farewell

Bob Swartley was a fine fellow, a wonderful artist and Bob's contributions to hand engraving will be sorely missed. He did share openly with engravers his process and ideas in the field. My first contact with Bob was in the mid `70s while he brought in and introduced a teenage engraver to Gist Engravers. Gary Gist hired him and he has worked as a master hand engraver ever since. Bob's generosity and friendship are sorely missed.

 

[Barry Lee Hands]

Keith, who was the young engraver?

 

[Mike Dubber]

Very sad to hear of Bob's passing - he was a great engraver, a gentlemen and a magnificent instructor.

In addition to having studied at The Colorado School of Trades, Bob also taught there. I cannot recall the year, but Bob taught a class in Fine Line engraving during one of the NRA Summer Classes. I was in that class , and I have always appreciated having the skills Bob so expertly taught us. I still have, and still use, the two Fine Line Gravers we made that summer.

Mike Dubber

 

[jerrywh]

I am sad to hear of the loss of Bob Swartley. He was a fantastic engraver and did some of the best work i have ever seen. The world of art has lost a super good artist.

 

[Matt Swartley]

Robert Swartley

I wanted to say thank you, to you all, for the kind words that have been spoken in regards to my father. He would have been so appreciative. I know he that would have been embarrassed by all the complements. He was a very humble and quiet man, and was reluctant to speak of his talent. All of you that gave your accounts of meeting him, have brought great comfort and pride to our family. My son and daughter, Owen and Jordan Swartley, my father's pride and joy, appear to have inherited his artistic talent. I will encourage them to pursue any avenue they choose, as long as it's engraving.
Thank you all for the kind words, and I hope we can see one another in the near future.
Thank you,
Matthew Swartley

 

[Marcus Hunt]

I never knew Mr Swartley but it is always sad to hear of a fellow engraver's passing away. The one thing we are guaranteed in this life is that we will one day leave it. As engravers, hopefully we leave a small piece of ourselves in every piece of work we do. At this sad time for his family, hopefully they can take some small consolation in the fact that part of him lives on in the works he's left behind. To Mr Swartley's friends and family, I offer my condolences.

 

[monk]

like a few, i never met the man. i remember seeing some of his works. in the day, i'd cut out the fotos and save them in a folder, along with the fotos of several other engravers. my condolences to his family, and i might also say, "his legacy will outlast us all" !