Robert E. Todd was born in Ketchikan, Alaska, in 1929. In 1932, his parents moved back to the States and settled in Seattle. From a very early age, Robert was consumed with drawing and painting. Encouraged by a very supportive mother, he began earning a bit of money from his art by the time he was sixteen. Robert attended art school in Seattle and also enrolled in night courses, studying anatomy, figure drawing, and landscape painting. Growing up in Seattle was a stroke of good fortune for an aspiring young artist. The city had a vibrant art community that provided many opportunities to be taught by and work with several well-known painters. He became a member of the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters, where he met and painted with James Edward Peck, a man who became a friend and mentor. Robert later said of Peck, “He was a wonderful teacher. I owe my friend a great debt for his wisdom and generosity in pushing a young artist along.” Faced with the reality of needing a steadier income, Robert turned to commercial art and worked as an illustrator, which further honed his drawing skills. While enjoying a highly successful career as a commercial artist and art director, he continued to pursue fine art. In 1973, he left the advertising world to dedicate himself fully to painting. Together with his wife, Karin, he built a house and small gallery in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, where he sold his paintings successfully. In 1984, Robert and Karin decided to seek new inspiration and left the Northwest for New England—a region that had long intrigued them. They settled in Weston, Vermont, and in July 1986 opened Todd Gallery, where Robert gained a large following for his paintings. His focus was on New England landscapes, particularly Vermont, as well as Ireland—the homeland of his maternal grandparents. The couple took many extended painting trips to Ireland, where Robert created a significant body of work. His paintings of Ireland and Vermont remain highly sought after by collectors. After two decades away from family, Robert and Karin decided to return to western Washington for a quieter life. They sold the gallery and moved to the Fairhaven area of Bellingham, close to family and friends. There, Robert built a new studio, and together they began constructing a house with a small gallery where visitors would be welcome.