A Stanly Arts Guild display of work by pencil artist Robert Gray Cooper is on display at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center during February.

Cooper, a self taught artist, could always be found drawing as a child. As he grew older and recognized his abilities Cooper, strived to perfect his techniques and continued to draw at every opportunity.

Born in 1952 in Winston-Salem, Cooper lived in several states growing up with his family, before moving back to Winston-Salem at the age of 12.

After graduating high school he served in the United States Air Force for four years, spending one year in Southeast Asia.

After graduating college in 1978, he got married and moved to Burlington. He worked in the golf course industry while raising three children.

Cooper worked part-time with his new business while keeping his full-time job as a golf course superintendent. He had no time to work on his art, and went 20-plus years before picking up a drawing pencil.

Cooper started drawing again in 2013.

Cooper has belonged to various art associations over the years, and was voted president of the Burlington Artist League in 1984. He has been accepted in numerous juried shows and art exhibitions throughout North Carolina, where his work has received much recognition and acclaim. His portrait titled ”Letter To Home” was chosen as a finalist out of over 10,000 entries in the nationally celebrated Artist’s Magazine’s 1989 Portrait Painting Competition.