As an art student, one of his first projects was destined to begin a life long interest in nautical portraiture. While on a field trip to locate an interesting subject for a painting, he discovered on old tugboat up on blocks. With sketchbook in hand he dutifully recorded the details. During later discussion in the studio classroom he realized he was the only student who felt a derelict workboat worthy of a forth-coming student masterpiece.

Bob Webber's fascination with sailing and boats got an early start when as a teen he was named instructor for a junior sailing program at summer camp. Fine wooden dinghies and one very fast sloop were available for this activity which continued through junior high school. A number of years later, on the day he announced to his mother he had bought a sailboat, he was to discover sailing was in his DNA. She looked at him in disbelief and brought out old photo albums chronicling his father's years as crew on well known R Boat Class sailboats racing on the Great Lakes.

While raising a family and working the corporate sides of sales, marketing and advertising for firms such as Eastman Kodak and Xerox, Webber continued pursuing his interest in documenting the grace and beauty of vintage and historic ships and yachts. Over the years, as a member of various yacht clubs, Bob came in contact with owners of vintage boats and could not resist taking reference photos and drafting portraits of those he thought most interesting. After awhile as so many renderings stacked up, he gave them to the pleasantly surprised owners. This practice continued until Bob began displaying his yacht portraits at Miami International Boat Show's beginning in 1993.

Significantly, one of Webber's first commissions was for a magnificent 1930's era yacht - retriggering his interest in the beauty and craftsmanship of watercraft from earlier times. Today, Bob's clientele keep him busily engaged in commemorating classic and historic yachts admired the world over.

Among some of his rare subjects is Mavourneen, a 50' yacht tender built in 1930 by the venerable Camper Nicholson's Yard in the UK and later restored for an American owner by Peter Freebody. This esteemed firm, in business for over 300 years, is located on the Thames and serves customers from around the globe. Another of Bob's yachting subjects is Chief Uncas; an Elco built in 1910 for Adolphus Busch founder of Anheuser Busch Brewing Company in St. Louis, MO. To this day, Chief Uncas remains under the stewardship of the same family.

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