Bob Worthy's paintings create a question and are often inconclusive. His blending of painting and collage is inspired by found papers, seascapes, and man-made and natural textures. Cold wax and oil paint are applied over layers of collage or elastomeric compound resulting in a textured surface. Recent work was inspired by trips to East Coast beaches and observing the effects of light on sand, water and sky at different times of the day.
His paintings don't offer easy answers, often creating an opportunity for the viewer to complete the image. It is the ambiguity of these artworks that lead to individual interpretations. With strong influences from both traditional landscape painters and the Abstract Expressionist era, his personal imagery often results in a balance between representation and abstraction. It is an uncomfortable space for some, that sense of not being quite sure of what you are seeing.
Professor Worthy holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He received his Masters of Inter-disciplinary Studies in Fine Art (MIS) from VCU in 1999 and subsequently taught there from 1999-2016. Worthy was recognized at the Fredericksburg, Virginia Regional Arts Awards in 2000, as an individual artist, for outstanding achievements and contributions to the cultural life of the greater Fredericksburg region. He also received a Certificate of Recognition from the Virginia Governor's Awards for the Arts during the same month. Worthy was juror for "Square City" at the PonShop Gallery and has been a guest curator for the Louisa Art Center. He currently serves as Assistant Curator for the Frederick Gallery at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts.
Worthy shares Studio 13 on the second level at Liberty Town Arts Center with two friends and fellow artists. His work can be found in private and public collections in North America and he is internationally collected in Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Portugal and the UK.