Bob Dorman

You’ve seen them. Every time you go into a place that sells Christmas cards. The Santas, the children with soft expressions and cuddly puppies look back at you from the shelves. Bob Dorman probably drew them. In his lengthy career, he’s drawn the Santas now printed on collectable plates or splashed across ornamental gift bags. He’s sold his holiday scenes to card manufacturers around the country. A single picture might be duplicated millions of times.

A self-taught artist who now is co-owner of a Port Orange imprinting company, Dorman may be the least-known, most-visible artist in the country. Former vice president of two major card companies, the Iowa native has seen his work mass-produced on T-shirts and reproduced in most major magazines, side-by-side with the Christmas cards and holiday drawings that still represent 60 percent of his free-lance work.

“I look at art from an economic point of view,” says Dorman, who is very unSanta-like thin and of average height with his graying blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. “I have a deep-seated interest as an artist in making a living.”

“He’s been there, done that,” says Dave Summerlin, co-owner of Tropical Creations, which he and Randy Simmons co-founded in Simmons’ garage 20 years ago. Eight years ago, Summerlin was introduced to Dorman. An artist himself, the Daytona Beach native immediately recognized quality art. He turned the art portion of the business over to Dorman and went into sales.

He’s drawn covers of magazines for NASCAR races, illustrated how-to articles for major magazines and produced paintings now gracing city halls in distant cities. “It’s nice to have a grand painting hanging in some millionaire’s house,” Dorman says in his calm, even voice, “but more people definitely see the T-shirts.” His voice is always even. A hurricane wouldn’t ruffle him. He simply folds his arms across his chest and chats. The same serenity is reflected in his works.

By 1980, he was so well known that he was the first member invited into the American Royal Western Artists, an association of Southwest artists. “If you measure success by the number of shows you are invited to, then I was successful,” he says. Those shows were juried and it was hard to get into them. Dorman was not only awarded a booth, he sold out.

About three years ago, he met Summerlin. The family relocated to Port Orange, and Dorman’s been very active ever since. Dorman oversees eight artists and handles assignments for Tropical Creations as well as his own work. “I’m painting seven days a week,” he says.

All that effort has paid off. “I’ve done very well as an artist,” Dorman says. “Part of me is a businessman. Being involved with a rapidly growing business is exciting, too.” So is producing holiday illustrations that capture the warmth of his subjects, seemingly simplistic and yet intricately drawn.