Browse sculpture from James Roybal

James Roybal was born in 1952 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. From an early age, he knew he was destined to be an artist. His journey began at age 12 when he received his first introduction to bronze casting from his public school teacher, Earnest Badyinski. He continued studying under Badyinski throughout high school and spent his summer vacations working in his teacher’s studio, casting bronze. Roybal pursued formal art education at Highlands University and completed his studies at New Mexico State University. After college, he gained extensive experience working in foundries, casting bronze for himself and other artists. In 1983, he committed himself fully to his career as a professional artist. His talent was recognized early: while still in high school, Roybal participated in his first juried exhibition in 1971. Since then, his work has been shown in more than forty galleries across the United States. His sculptures and paintings are held in private collections worldwide, as well as in prominent public museum collections, including the Brown County Museum in Minnesota and the Ella Corothers Dunegan Collection in Bolivar, Missouri. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Art and featured in the book Contemporary Western Artists, which highlights 700 of the most important living Western artists. Roybal has participated in the Albuquerque Museum’s Miniatures Shows (1987 and 1991–1994) and has exhibited annually at the Contemporary Hispanic Market (Spanish Market) in Santa Fe since 2004. That same year, he received the Southwest Art Magazine Award. Additional honors include First Place in Pastel (2008 and 2009), First Place in Acrylic and Oil (2010), Best of Show (2012), and the Colores Award. He was also selected for inclusion in The Pastel Journal’s “100” list. A respected teacher and demonstrator, Roybal has been invited to speak and demonstrate for the New Mexico Pastel Society in Albuquerque in 2000, 2006, 2010, and 2011. He has exhibited with the Pastel Society of America and is a member of the Sculpture Society of America and the Pastel Society of New Mexico. Until 1985, Roybal worked exclusively as a sculptor, creating and selling over 1,300 bronzes. Today, he is equally celebrated as a fine arts painter working in pastel and oil. “I am always looking for new challenges,” he says. “Each painting or sculpture brings new ways of seeing. Working in both bronze and painting has opened new horizons for me.”