Robert Carlson is a German-born artist who moved to El Paso, Texas when he was seven years old. Carlson is a self-taught artist, having spent over a decade developing painting techniques he refers to as “sharp-focus realism.” He began working as full-time artist in 1973, and to this day works tirelessly on paintings that meticulously depict El Paso subjects, including the Franklin Mountains and its iconic Thunderbird impression pictured here.