Robert Milton DeVee was born on January 1, 1940, in Albany, California. He was an American painter, printmaker, and multifaceted artist whose impressionistic works captured the serene beauty of landscapes, gardens, and everyday vignettes with a vibrant, joyful palette. DeVee grew up in a creative environment that blended the performing and visual arts. From a young age, he immersed himself in dance, training with the Oakland Civic Ballet and performing alongside Ronn Guidi, who would later found the Oakland Ballet. When his family relocated to the rural enclave of Cazadero in Sonoma County, DeVee continued his dance studies under Linda Galletta, the future director of the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. These early encounters with artistic communities sparked his passion for visual expression, leading him to pursue formal training in acrylic and oil painting at the California College of Arts and Crafts and San Francisco State University.

After graduating, DeVee entered the commercial art world, spending a decade as a graphic designer for prominent Bay Area retailers Grodin's and Joseph Magnin. This period honed his technical skills and eye for composition, and in 1970, at the age of 30, DeVee made a bold pivot, leaving corporate life behind to dedicate himself fully to fine art. He settled in Sonoma County, first in Cazadero and later in Sebastopol, where the rolling hills and coastal light of Northern California became enduring inspirations for his work. DeVee's early paintings were large-scale impressionist acrylics on canvas, often evoking the luminous French countryside or tranquil Japanese gardens—subjects that reflected his innate sense of harmony and delight in nature.

A pivotal moment came during a trip to Japan in the mid-1970s, where DeVee encountered the burgeoning contemporary print movement. Fascinated by its precision and potential for layered color, he expanded his repertoire to include silkscreen serigraphs and oil monotypes. For his prints, DeVee employed an impressionistic approach, using up to 18 separate screens to build intricate, dot-like compositions that shimmered with depth and movement. His monotypes, created by painting oils onto glass and pressing paper to capture the transfer, added a spontaneous, one-of-a-kind quality to his oeuvre. While primarily impressionist, some works incorporated pointillist techniques, applying small dabs of pure color to create optical blending and a sense of ethereal glow, as seen in his rural landscapes with leafless trees and sunlit barns.

DeVee's art was characterized by its optimistic spirit: soft shadows, blooming sunflowers, and courtyard scenes infused with pinks, blues, and golds that conveyed joy and serenity. His pieces graced private collections, including those of the City of Santa Rosa and Bank of America, and appeared in prestigious publications like House & Garden, Sunset, Interior Design, and Architectural Digest. Exhibitions took him across the United States, from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Dallas, Phoenix, and Chicago, with a particular affinity for galleries in Bodega Bay, where he eventually made his home.

In the 1980s, he co-founded the Ren Brown Collection Gallery in Bodega Bay with gallerist Ren Brown, transforming a modest coastal building into a haven for Japanese prints and contemporary works, including his own. This partnership not only amplified his visibility but also deepened his cross-cultural influences. Robert DeVee passed away in 2017 in Bodega Bay,  leaving behind a legacy of over five decades of work that continues to enchant collectors and art enthusiasts.