Garland Robinette

Garland Robinette was born in Texas and raised in the bayous of south Louisiana, the adopted son of an oil-rig foreman and his wife. While most of the boys and men around him spent their time hunting and fishing, he preferred drawing portraits of friends and playing the piano. The Vietnam War introduced him to a new kind of resilience, one that shaped but never diminished his natural sensitivity. He returned home with two Purple Hearts and, while battling PTSD, took a job as a janitor at a local radio station. When given a chance to speak on air, his broadcasting talent quickly became apparent, launching a lifelong career in the public eye.

Throughout his life, Robinette never stopped creating art. He began with drawing and gradually expanded into other mediums as his reputation as an artist grew. One of his earliest major commissions was the official papal portrait of Pope John Paul II during the pontiff’s visit to New Orleans.

Robinette studied at the John McCrady School of Art in the French Quarter and also performed at Le Petit Théâtre. He later enrolled at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, studying under Ausoklis Ozols. He developed close friendships with fellow artists Henry Casselli and Rolland Golden, whom he credits as major influences. From Casselli, he learned to communicate emotion through his work, and from Golden, he gained an appreciation for color, perspective, and creative experimentation. He also regularly attended life drawing sessions with the spirited Pone Aliquid Group, where he painted alongside Dell Weller and other local figurative artists.

Today, Garland Robinette has come full circle, returning to his home state of Texas. He and his wife Nancy live and work in Georgetown, where they run their art studio together.