Robyn Beverland, known as "The Beaver," was born with Wolfram Syndrome, a genetic disorder that he shared with fewer than 70 other Americans at the time of his death. The Beaver began painting in 1990 when his father gave him art supplies in the hopes that artmaking might be therapeutic. At the time of his death eight years later, hundreds of paintings were stacked by his worktable and along the walls of his studio in the back yard of the Beverland's home.
Family portraits, roosters and dogs, all with iconic presences, were among the artist's subjects, which he rendered without context, without even a horizon. Asked about his palette, Beverland stated that he chose his colors by reading the labels on the cans of house-paint he used. He explained that since he was color blind that was the most expedient way for him to deal with color. However, according to his mother, Wanda, the hues that her son selected were generally reflective of his mood.