▁and ▁ship board ▁companion ▁for ▁United ▁States ▁L ines . ▁He ▁lived ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁on ▁Sw an ' s ▁Island , ▁Maine , ▁where ▁his ▁father ' s ▁family ▁started ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁His ▁conv iction ▁to ▁make ▁art ▁his ▁life ▁and ▁his ▁living ▁came ▁to ▁f ru ition ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁when ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁Mexico , ▁working ▁briefly ▁in ▁Bos que ▁Far ms ▁in ▁a ▁plant ▁nur ser y , ▁then ▁moving ▁to ▁a ▁one - room ▁arrangement ▁in ▁Santa ▁Fe ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁where ▁he ▁dedicated ▁his ▁life ▁to ▁his ▁art . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Pat ric ia ▁R ov zar ▁Gallery ▁said : ▁R . B . ▁Sp rag ue ▁is ▁driven ▁by ▁his ▁never - ending ▁expl oration ▁of ▁scale ▁and ▁light . ▁ ▁P ain ting ▁in ▁oil ▁on ▁lin en ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁Sp rag ue ' s ▁work ▁focus es ▁on ▁interior ▁spaces ▁and ▁the ▁relationships ▁of ▁the ▁objects ▁he ▁places ▁within ▁those ▁spaces . ▁ ▁He ▁defines ▁his ▁compos itions ▁with ▁common ▁objects ▁like ▁tables ▁and ▁ch airs ▁but ▁always ▁leaves ▁am ple ▁room ▁for ▁the ▁vie wer ▁to ▁create ▁their ▁own ▁interpretation . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁R . B . ▁Sp rag ue ▁said ▁in ▁South west ▁Art : ▁I ▁paint ▁what ▁I ▁see , ▁and ▁what ▁attract s ▁me ▁is ▁light ▁and ▁the ▁geometry ▁it ▁ill umin ates . ▁When