An artist's legacy

Every once in a while, the small-town life attracts some very interesting people.

Having lived all over the country, in various cities and unique locations, Robert Lucy and his wife Pamela believe they've finally found their forever home in New Rockford.

They moved to town last year from California, and say they've enjoyed the slower pace of living and greater sense of community ever since.

They were connected to New Rockford through their children, Matt and Lisa Sullivan, who traveled to New Rockford with their camper about three years ago, and decided to stay after enjoying their visit and meeting some of the kind residents in town.

"Moving here is almost like moving back to the 1950s or 60s," said Lucy. "Kids are playing in the yard, everybody waves when you go by, neighbors are willing to give you a hand. It's just small-town America.

"It's been really nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle," he added. "The pace here is slow, it's easy, and there's still plenty of things to do."

Originally from Dubuque, Iowa, Lucy is a Vietnam-era Navy veteran and a lifelong artist.

Much of his art is a reflection of his many lived experiences and the many places he has traveled.

"I've sold stuff from the East Coast to the West Coast, to Texas, to Denver, to Washington," said Lucy. "So I've moved around a lot."

Whether it's a series of artwork depicting the old missions near San Antonio, Texas – such as the Alamo – or a shrimping boat off the coast of Georgia, Lucy has all kinds of paintings that represent many of the things he's seen and places he's been.

Lately he's been completing a detailed and tactile painting of a heron, an animal he says has been present throughout all his travels, and in a way represents his lifetime of experiences in various locations.

"The heron is really interesting, They're in just about every place in the United States," he said. "I've seen them in Georgia, in Colorado and in Texas, heck just about anywhere there's water basically."

He said the particular heron he's drawing is a depiction of one from a bird sanctuary in Washington, near where he lived for about two years.

Lucy has completed an exceptionally wide variety of art projects over the years, and he says there's not one particular style he sticks to.

"I like changing it up rather than just doing one particular thing," said Lucy.

Among his favorite paintings to create, and possibly the paintings some clients have enjoyed the most, are comical depictions of an individual's face – often a family member – painted onto the body of someone else.

For example, he has seamlessly painted one of his own family member's beloved dogs onto the body of a Napoleon-era general, complete with a monocle and even a stylish mustache.

He also took the face of his stepson-in-law, Matt Sullivan, and painted him into Santa Claus, creating a comical portrait for the holidays.

"People always get a kick out of those," said Lucy with a chuckle.

After spending much of his youth in Colorado Springs and the Denver metro area, work opportunities and/or family took Lucy from place to place, including to California where he met his wife, as well as Washington, Texas and Georgia.

He spent much of his professional career in marketing and mortgage lending, but his passion has always been in the arts.

In addition to his paintings, Lucy has also been an avid photographer, and several of the images he has captured are featured in his home studio.

Over the years he's also designed business cards and logos for different companies and corporations – such as Pitney Bowes. He's painted murals, designed showrooms, and he can even restore old photos.

Simply put, there's not a whole lot he hasn't done.

And now, after a lifetime of unique artistic experiences, he plans to offer his talents to the residents of New Rockford.

Unfortunately, Lucy is currently suffering from an old work-related injury dating back to his time in the Navy, which has limited what he can get done. But he's looking forward to offering his services to local residents as soon as his health allows.

Anyone interested in contacting Lucy about future projects can reach him via email at [email protected], or via phone at (206) 304-1209. Lucy said he'll be able to do all sorts of projects, and he encouraged folks to get in touch about whatever they might be interested in.

"I just like the ability to create and to be able to make something that makes people feel good," said Lucy.