Alan R. Cobb was a Texas-based printmaker whose work is distinguished by technical precision, material sensitivity, and sustained engagement with landscape and the quiet complexities of everyday environments. Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1929, Cobb initially pursued a career outside the arts, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Kansas State College in 1951. He subsequently maintained a long professional career with Mobil Oil Corporation (ExxonMobil).  

It was only after his retirement that Cobb turned seriously to an uncommon but deeply consequential transition that defined the second chapter of his life. His introduction to printmaking occurred through a formative encounter with Larry Scholder, head of the printmaking department at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. After observing a demonstration by a visiting New York master printmaker, Cobb became captivated by the technical and expressive potential of the medium. Recognizing his commitment and aptitude, Larry invited Alan to join his classes. This disciplined study of traditional print processes established the foundation for a rigorous and sustained studio practice. 

Working in all the printmaking disciplines of relief and intaglio printing, Cobb developed fluency in all aspects of these disciplines; etching, engraving, dry point, mezzotint, lift ground (sugar-lift) aquatint, four-color printing, chine-collé, and woodcut. He became particularly recognized for his mastery of lift ground aquatint, a process he valued for its painterly gesture, tonal depth, and nuanced surface variation. His prints demonstrate a refined control of plate tone and texture, balancing structural clarity with atmospheric subtlety.  

Parallel to his intaglio work, Cobb produced large-scale woodcuts distinguished by strong compositional organization and an evident physical engagement with the carved matrix. His relief prints emphasize the tactile qualities of wood, celebrating both the resistance of the material and the directness of the cutting process. 

 In later years (2015–2020), he expanded his practice to include hand-colored etchings, further exploring the relationship between line, tone, and surface. 

Cobb’s imagery was rooted in close observation of his surroundings. Drawing inspiration from rivers, forests, and the interwoven natural and built environments of Texas and surrounding states, he translated familiar landscapes into carefully balanced abstractions of form, light, and texture. Rather than constructing overt narrative or symbolic programs, Cobb allowed subtle shifts in pattern, atmosphere, and material to guide his compositions. His works suggest a contemplative attentiveness to place, emphasizing presence over spectacle. 

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Cobb exhibited widely in Texas and nationally, including at 500X Gallery, the Texas Visual Arts Association, the Dallas Visual Art Center, the Museum of Abilene, the Los Angeles Printmaking Society, and exhibitions in Paris and Santa Fe. His work entered public collections including the Museum of the Big Bend and the Center for the Study of Early Texas Art. 

Alan R. Cobb’s artistic life stands as a compelling example of mature creative renewal. Through disciplined craftsmanship and sustained inquiry into the expressive potential of traditional printmaking, he contributed meaningfully to the continuation of fine art print practice in Texas during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. 

Education 

1951 – B.S., Business Administration, Kansas State College, Manhattan, Kansas 
Post-retirement – Audited Printmaking Courses, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (Professor Larry Scholder) 

Professional Experience 

Mobil Oil Corporation (ExxonMobil), Corporate Career (dates not specified) 
Full-time Studio Practice, Dallas, Texas (post-retirement–2020) 

Solo and Two-Person Exhibitions 

1995 – Artscape Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Two-Person Exhibition) 

1995-Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas “Pots and Prints” Alan Cobb and Sue cobb 

1996-Borders Books Exhibition, Solo Show, Dallas, Texas 

2004 Northlake Community College- Two Person Show, Irving, Texas  

Selected Group Exhibitions 

Selected Exhibitions 

2015 
Irving Art Center, Irving, Texas, Group Exhibition 

2007 
University of Texas, Tyler, Tyler, Texas, 22nd Annual Exhibition 
Art in the Metroplex, Dallas, Texas 
Irving Arts Association, Irving, Texas, Texas and Neighbors Regional Exhibition 

2005 
Los Angeles Printmaking Society, Los Angeles, California 
Red Dot Fine Art Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico 
Art With a Southern Drawl Exhibition, Mobile, Alabama 
Irving Arts Association, Irving, Texas, Texas and Neighbors Regional Exhibition 
McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, Texas, Members Invitational 
Richardson Civic Art Society, Richardson, Texas 

2004–2005 
Richardson Civic Art Society, Richardson, Texas 

2003 
McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, Texas, Members Invitational 

2001 
Creede Colorado Arts Council, Creede, Colorado 
Saint Louis Artists Guild, St. Louis, Missouri 
Stonemetal Press Gallery, San Antonio, Texas 
Irving Arts Association, Irving, Texas, Texas and Neighbors Regional Exhibition 
McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, Texas, Members Invitational 

2000–2001, 2003, 2005 
McKinney Avenue Contemporary, Dallas, Texas, Members Invitational 

2000 
The Hand-Pulled Prints Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas 

1999 
Art in the Metroplex, Dallas, Texas 
Eastfield College Museum Gallery, Mesquite, Texas, Pots and Prints; an Exhibition of Works by Alan Cobb and Sue Cobb 
500X Gallery, Dallas, Texas 

1998–2001 
Richardson Civic Art Society, Richardson, Texas 

1998 
Beau Arts, Paris, France 
Florida Printmakers Society, Miami, Florida, National Exhibition 
Art with a Southern Drawl Exhibition, Mobile, Alabama 
Artspace Non-Toxic 2000, Richmond, Virginia 
The Hand-Pulled Prints Exhibition, San Antonio, Texas 
East Texas Fine Arts Association, Longview, Texas, Citation Show 

1995 
Grace Museum, Abilene, Texas, 51st Annual Competition 
Artscape Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Two-Person Exhibition 
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, Pots and Prints; an Exhibition of Works by Alan Cobb and Sue Cobb 
The Artists Rally of Texas, Mineral Wells, Texas 
Florida Printmakers Society, Miami, Florida, National Exhibition 

1993–2007 
Texas Visual Arts Association (TVAA), Dallas, Texas 
National Open Exhibitions (1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004–2007) 
State Citation (1994, 1995) 
Membership Show (1994–2001, 2004–2007) 
Regional Open (1996, 1998) 
Holiday Art Show (1998) 
Signature Show (1997–2001, 2007) 

1993–2005 
Dallas Visual Art Center, Dallas, Texas, Membership Exhibitions 

1991–1997, 1999 
500X Gallery, Dallas, Texas 

Collections 

Public Collections 

Museum of the Big Bend, Alpine, Texas 
Center for the Study of Early Texas Art, San Angelo, Texas 

Private & Institutional Collections 

Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden, Dallas, Texas 
Empower One, Dallas, Texas 
Private collections, Dallas and Houston, Texas  

Workshops & Professional Development 

1992 – Carol Summers Woodcut Workshop, Guanajuato, Mexico 
1994 – Solar Printing Workshop with Dan Weldon, Dallas, Texas 
1995 – Japanese Woodblock Printmaking Workshop with Hiroko Morinoue, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Aspen, Colorado 
2001 – Landscape Monoprint Workshop with G. Kondos, Santa Fe, New Mexico 
2001 – Woodblock Workshop, Brookhaven Community College, Dallas, Texas 
2004 – Imagon Print Course, Brookhaven Community College, Dallas, Texas