Robert's career started very early beginning with copying characters from comic books in elementary school, it was his complete purpose in life to become an artist. It was his dream to work for Walt Disney. When he received his first art award in the seventh grade, his course was set and determined. Although he has had to follow a variety of paths, some detracting from his goal, but never has he been far from his purpose.
Though he never worked for Walt Disney and the pursuit of his goal to work as an artist was delayed by a career as a US Army Special Forces (Green Beret) Soldier, his life’s experience has provided a wellspring of inspiration for paintings that will fill years yet to come.
His formative years were spent sharing an art room with Richard Whitney and they were both privileged to learn the fundamentals of their craft from art teachers Raymond Descoteaux and Norma Safford. Robert was fortunate to gather so much of the spirit of painting from venerable New England artists such as Arthur Herrick and Tom Curtain. The Rockport, Massachusetts watercolorist, John Manship, son of the sculptor Paul Manship, New York artists Flora Giffuni, founder of the Pastel Society of America, and Eve Dawson, mentored Robert. He learned much of his style and the painting craft while working with Tom Blackwell, one of the original Photo Realists. Much of what he has learned about the art of portrait painting was gleaned at the side of artists Michael Del Priore, Richard Whitney, Frank Tauriello, William F. Draper, Bert Silverman, Everett Raymond Kinstler, and Daniel Greene.
Before and after receiving a BS degree in Elementary Education and working as a teacher and principal, most of his adult life has been spent teaching drawing and painting publicly and privately. His work has hung in many one-man shows and juried group exhibitions in New York City, Europe, New England, Florida, and North Carolina. These include the American Watercolor Society, Pastel Society of America, and the American Arts Club, all in New York City, the Freie Berliner Kunst Austellung (Free Berlin Art Exhibition) in Berlin, Germany, and the Copley Society of Boston.
Robert is a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists, the New York Society of Portrait Artists, and the Portrait Society of America. His work is represented in many public and private collections worldwide.
