Seeking adventure and inspiration in western Colorado, artist Jack Roberts masterfully captured frontier characters in secluded cow camps and boisterous saloons. His flamboyant personality and zest for life became topics of local stories. But sobriety and commitment offered new themes and goals. Indians, traders, pioneers and entrepreneurs—he captured them all on canvas with a blend of creativity and authenticity. His paintings, cartoons and personal observations reflect his convictions and his desire to create works of significance. With over seventy full-color paintings, author F. Darrell Munsell traces Roberts's career from early apprenticeship with Harvey Dunn through his many changes in lifestyle and subject to celebrate this respected artist of the American West.
F. Darrell Munsell, professor emeritus, West Texas A&M University, is the author of three other books on historical subjects. He received a PhD degree in British history from the University of Kansas and was an exchange scholar at the University of Birmingham, England. He has served on the Redstone Historic Preservation Commission and is actively involved in several area historical societies. He and his wife, Jane, live in the Crystal River Valley south of Carbondale.