With Bobby Goldsboro music playing in the background the SeaBreeze Recreation Center was awash in oil paintings and prints on Saturday by entertainer, composer and now prolific painter Bobby Goldsboro. A fundraiser for the Villages’ Visual Arts Association, this is the seventh year that Goldsboro has sold his work to donate to the group’s scholarship fund.
Goldsboro began painting 10 years ago on his 65th birthday. Painting was something he had always talked about doing. Dianne, his wife of 31 years, challenged him saying, “you are always talking about painting, when are you going to do it?”
His answer was “today.” He purchased supplies on his birthday, Jan. 18, started that day and hasn’t stopped. His work now hangs in galleries in Naples, Arizona and Wyoming. He also does commission work.
A Florida native, he started with landscapes of Florida. His interests have moved him to still lifes and wildlife. A self-taught painter, he considers his first painting to be one of his best. “Like the music I composed, I can see the whole thing in my head before I start.” He likes realism and has experimented with painting on copper and wood. “Why not? The Mona Lisa was painted on wood.”
On Saturday in addition to the paintings and prints, note cards were for sale and a print was being donated as the prize for a raffle drawing. The original was sold in Naples for $25,000; the money was donated to a Wounded Warrior project.
“As Christians we are grateful to God,” said Dianne. “We feel Bobby’s talent is a gift from God and we want to share with others.” They also contribute via Goldsboro’s art to March of Dimes and Easter Seals. “I am thankful.” said Goldsboro, “Nobody on earth has had a better life than me.”
As people walked around some with albums to be autographed, Goldsboro and his wife were on hand to talk to each person. It didn’t take long for the buying to begin. Joe and Carole Quinn of the Village of Silver Lake purchased the print Return of the Herd. They were very happy to purchase print one of 50. Asked how they selected this painting. Joe said when you first walk around sometimes something will just jump out at you and you know it is the one.
“This one leaped at me; it walked up to my wife,” he said.
Many people know Goldsboro from his music and variety show of the 1970’s. His song “Honey” was the No. selling record in the world in 1968. But more and more people are discovering Bobby Goldsboro, the painter which he describes as his life-long passion. If you would like to see more of his artwork go to www.bobbygoldsboro.com.
