R.L.Lewis

By Tobin Bennison

(Paintings have been reproduced by kind permission of Mr. Lewis and are copyrighted by the artist)

You don't need to be a Sotheby's appraiser to recognize the value of an original Highwaymen painting.

Though their canvases now fetch auction room prices, their true value can't be gauged by numbers or currency. An essential, though often unsung force on many historical, social and artistic levels, the Highwaymen were a loose-knit group of black Floridian painters who, like the French Impressionists before them, took art outdoors to mirror the landscape that shaped their lives. In 1995, Sebring museum curator and critic Jim Fitch dubbed the group "The Florida Highwaymen," a convenient blanket term that, while apt, overshadows the individuality which produced a wealth of vital paintings.

During the late '50s and '60s, the Fort Pierce-born Highwaymen sold their paintings from the backs of cars and trucks along the highways and state roads veining out through central Florida. Their works, characterized by bright, vibrant colors, were popular for their homespun renditions of Florida's unique flora and fauna. Original pieces that sold for mere dollars back then now command hundreds, if not thousands, and what was once considered a kitschy, nostalgic den wall adornment now hangs in museum galleries. Today, Highwaymen paintings are as integral to the State's identity as the rivers and brilliant sunsets they depict.

Among the many stars which glitter in the Highwaymen constellation, Robert "R.L." Lewis' often shines the strongest -- especially when viewed from the Cocoa shores of his beloved Indian River Lagoon.

It was here that Lewis, the third of six siblings, was raised, and the distinction of being "Brevard's own" Highwayman is something he seems to treasure more than his association with the general movement. Humble and soft spoken, Lewis, though proud of being an original Highwayman, is quick to downplay his connection to the group, preferring to invoke the invaluable influence of a high school art teacher above his famous comrades. Initially, his mother was instrumental in planting the seed of art in his mind, encouraging him to recreate the world around him on paper. But it was a high school football injury in 1958 that really stoked his artistic fire.

Assigned to an art class at Monroe High to occupy him during the long recovery, Lewis' innate talent caught the eye of his teacher, Alberta Leisure. An accomplished poetess and artist in her own right, Ms. Leisure nurtured his skills by giving him his first watercolor set and sharing an article about then-flourishing Highwayman Harold Newton. As far as he's come since that time, Lewis still speaks of Ms. Leisure with measured reverence. "She let me copy one of her Indian River scenes," he remembers. "In allowing me to mimic her technique, with the help of that watercolor set, she inspired me to find my own voice and my own vision. I'll never forget that."

Further encouraged by a family friend, Lewis pursued his artistic endeavors at Edward Water College in Jacksonville and NY's Syracuse University before earning a B.A. in Art Education from Florida A&M in 1966. After a stint as an illustrator for Boeing, he taught art for, variously, Kennedy Jr. High, Jefferson Jr. High, BCC, and Lewis Carroll Elementary, spending a fruitful 22 years at Roosevelt Jr. and Middle Schools. Again, despite all he's produced artistically, Lewis counts his role as a teacher as his most enduring achievement.

During his youth, that education seemed nearly unattainable. "I worked for some years during high school picking oranges at Evans Grove during the Christmas season to supplement my income," Lewis recalls. "If you've never worked up in the trees like that in the sun and the bitter early morning cold, there's no way I can to describe to you how awful it was. It's your worst nightmare."

In what can only be seen as a stroke of heavenly justice, some of Lewis' most prized and beloved landscapes are those of the grove were he spent those trying times. Part of his ticket out of the groves was purchased with funds earned from the paintings he began selling in the early '60s throughout Brevard County and bordering environs -- what other Highwaymen referred to as "the Golden Triangle." He sold his first painting, a rendition of "The Last Supper," to a woman who commissioned it for $2. Under the tutelage of various Highwaymen elders, Lewis honed his craft and learned to read the fickle and often inscrutable face of coastal Florida. The time he spent with his Highwaymen compatriots proved invaluable during his artistic adolescence, but for some of the practitioners, the border between art and work blurred as the years progressed.

The young Lewis stood apart for being one of the least overtly commercial of the Highwaymen, one who used his skills to secure a profession as an educator and mentor. Regardless, he never abandoned his love of painting, and his varied corpus of work is breathtaking to look at. When viewed alongside the creations of his friends and peers, it's easy to feel the pull Florida exerted on their impressionable souls.

To those familiar with the area, Lewis' landscapes speak eloquent volumes. Here, melancholy moss droops listlessly over a serene stretch of river; there, a stately egret stands sentinel on a gnarled cypress limb, and here you see the blood orange pulp-reds and crisp golds of sunlight haloing a rain-swollen cloud. Each painting is notable for its tangibility and uncanny replication of nature's most fleeting moments. Several coastal scenes capture the instant when a crashing wave's spray sends seagulls wheeling skyward. In one of his most recognizable paintings, the splayed branches of a royal poinciana burst aflame with glowing red blooms. The silent poinciana was a common Highwaymen subject, but under Lewis' brush it vibrates with bottled movement, stored sunlight coursing through its roots.

Though retired from teaching, Lewis still finds time to volunteer and give lectures and demonstrations, all while painting with the irrepressible verve of his youth. He's equally adept with portraits, still lifes, domestic and coastal scenes, rustic tableaux, and wildlife themes, but his favorites remain those of the Indian River Lagoon where his incredible story first began.

Visit R.L. Lewis' Gallery in Historic Downtown Cocoa Village (234 W. King St., Ste. 150; 433-0145). Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays and Mondays by appointment. Many of most representative works are on display here, but Lewis still accepts custom requests. He'll be appearing at several events throughout Florida this month: in Safety Harbor on March 3rd, Arcadia on March 10th, and at the Grant Antique Mall in Grant on March 17th. His 2007 Calendars are now available for purchase and make great gifts for Florida natives and visitors alike. Drop by his website at: www.rllewisartist.com for purchasing information and other details.

* Paintings have been reproduced by kind permission of Mr. Lewis and are copyrighted by the artist. *